The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 341: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

310 THE COURT OF LONDON and attended by Northwitch, visited the vault the day before yesterday, they saw a corpse hanging half-way out of its coffin — ” . “Yes, my lord,’’ said Chapman; “ and it appears that before they ascertained whose body it was, some observa- tions were made which confused and irritated her ladyship most strangely. Northwitch’s assistant told me about it within an hour after the visit of the marchioness to the church; and it was on hearing of this matter that I resolved to come up to London and see your lordship.”’ “Well, my good friend,” exclaimed Montgomery, inwardly cursing the garrulous circumlocution of his rustic partisan, ‘and what was it that thus agitated and annoyed the marchioness? ” ‘‘ Because the corpse of her late husband, my lord,” re- sponded Chapman, “ was so blue and swollen, and presented such an extraordinary appearance, that Northwitch declared the deceased must have been poisoned — ”’ ‘Poisoned! ’”’ ejaculated Montgomery. ‘“ Ah! a light breaks in upon me — But go on, go on, my good friend.”’ ‘Well, my lord,’ continued the stone-mason, “ it seems that her ladyship was sadly put out, and she read Northwitch a long lecture on the subject. Altogether, Northwitch’s assistant assured me that the incident had excited the strangest suspicions in his breast,—the more so that Northwitch also observed, quoting me as the authority and calling me a scandalous fellow for my pains, that her ladyship was reported to have detested the marquis when she was forced into a marriage with him, and to have even loved another — _ Besides,’”’ exclaimed the old man, interrupting himself all in a moment as another idea flashed to his recollec- tion, “‘ did not the Marquis of Bellenden die very suddenly and suspiciously? ”’ “That was precisely the thought which struck me Just now and which ?roke upon me like an inspiration,” said Earl Montgomery. ‘“ But go on, Chapman, what more have you to tell? ”’ ‘Nothing particular, my lord,’ was the answer. “I thought you would like to hear that there is some reason to suppose the marchioness poisoned her husband,” he added, lowering his voice to a mysterious whisper; ‘‘ and it was in reference to those tidings that I assured your lordship at the Gomicsooks (E(©)