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97 - Mysteries of London Vol II by George W M Reynolds · Mysteries of London Vol. II

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  Speaker 1: Twenty seven scenes at Ravensworth Hall. It was about five
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  Speaker 1: o'clock in the afternoon of the same day on which
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  Speaker 1: the interview between George Montagu Greenwood and the Honorable Gilbert
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  Speaker 1: Vernon took place. That a post chaise advanced rapidly through
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  Speaker 1: Ravensworth Park towards the hall. In a few minutes it
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  Speaker 1: stopped at the principal entrance of the mansion, and the
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  Speaker 1: honorable mister Vernon alighted. Quentin, who received him, made some
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  Speaker 1: inquiry in a respectful tone concerning his baggage. My valet
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  Speaker 1: will be here in the evening with my trunks, replied
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  Speaker 1: Vernon abruptly. Thus, without committing himself by a positive assertion,
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  Speaker 1: he led Quenton and the other domestics who were present
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  Speaker 1: to infer that he had only just arrived in England
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  Speaker 1: and had left his servant in London to clear his
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  Speaker 1: baggage at the custom house. Quentin loud as he received
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  Speaker 1: that answer, and hastened to conduct mister Vernon to the
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  Speaker 1: drawing room, where Lady Ravensworth was seated. The widow and
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  Speaker 1: her brother in law now met for the first time.
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  Speaker 1: Vernon saw before him a young and beautiful woman, very pale,
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  Speaker 1: and with a countenance whose expression denoted much suffering, mental
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  Speaker 1: rather than physical. It was true that she had only
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  Speaker 1: lately become a mother, that little more than a month
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  Speaker 1: had elapsed since she had given birth to an heir
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  Speaker 1: to the proud title and broad lands of Ravensworth. And
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  Speaker 1: though the pallor of her face was the natural consequence
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  Speaker 1: of so recent an event, yet the physical languor which
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  Speaker 1: usually follows also had given place to a nervousness of manner,
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  Speaker 1: a restlessness of body, a rapid wandering of the eyes,
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  Speaker 1: and an occasional firm compression of the lips, which indicated
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  Speaker 1: an uneasy mind. Alas upon that woman's soul lay a
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  Speaker 1: crime heavy and oppressive as a weight of lead. The
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  Speaker 1: voice of the murdered Lydia was ever ringing in her ears,
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  Speaker 1: The countenance of the murdered Lydia was ever staring her
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  Speaker 1: in the face, ghastly, distorted and livid in appearance. The
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  Speaker 1: form of the murdered Lydia was ever standing before her.
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  Speaker 1: At night, the specter placed itself between the opening of
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  Speaker 1: the curtains, and seemed more palpable, more horrible, more substantial.
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  Speaker 1: In the hours of darkness. No wonder then that her
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  Speaker 1: mind was restless, that her manner was nervous, and that
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  Speaker 1: her looks were wandering and unsettled. But let us continue
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  Speaker 1: the thread of our narrative, taking it up at the
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  Speaker 1: moment when the Honorable Gilbert Vernon and entered the apartment
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  Speaker 1: where Lady Ravensworth rose to receive him. Extending her hand
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  Speaker 1: towards him, she said, welcome to this mansion. It is
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  Speaker 1: kind of you to answer so speedily in person the
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  Speaker 1: letters which it was my painful duty to address to
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  Speaker 1: you at Beirut. These words reassured Vernon on one important point.
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  Speaker 1: They proved that letters had been sent conveying the intelligence
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  Speaker 1: of his brother's death. Accept my gratitude for the cordiality
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  Speaker 1: with which you receive me, sister. For such, you will
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  Speaker 1: permit me to call you, answered Vernon, and believe me.
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  Speaker 1: But good God, what ails you? What is the matter,
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  Speaker 1: Lady Ravensworth? You are ill? You that voice? That voice,
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  Speaker 1: shrieked Adeline, staggering towards a chair on which she sank helplessly. Oh,
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  Speaker 1: mister Vernon. Gilbert was astounded at the affrighted manner and
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  Speaker 1: strange ejaculations of his sister In law, But seeing that
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  Speaker 1: she was on the point of fainting, he snatched from
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  Speaker 1: the table a small bottle of powerful scent and handed
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  Speaker 1: it to her. She inhaled the perfume, which acted as
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  Speaker 1: a slight restorative. But it was chiefly to the natural
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  Speaker 1: vigor of her mind, and to the imperious necessity in
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  Speaker 1: which dread circumstances had placed her of constantly maintaining as
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  Speaker 1: much command over herself as possible. That she was indebted
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  Speaker 1: for her almost immediate recovery from the state into which
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  Speaker 1: sudden surprise and profound alarm had thrown her. Perhaps your
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  Speaker 1: ladyship is desirous that I should withdraw, said Vernon. There
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  Speaker 1: may be something in my countenance, my manner, or my
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  Speaker 1: voice that recalls to your mind painful reminiscences of my
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  Speaker 1: lately departed brother. It is natural that you should experience
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  Speaker 1: these feelings, and I will leave you for the present. No,
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  Speaker 1: mister Vernon, stay, exclaimed Adeline, in a tone which denoted
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  Speaker 1: the most painful excitement and agitation. Compose yourself, then, attempt
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  Speaker 1: not to pursue the conversation immediately, said Gilbert, For as
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  Speaker 1: with your permission, it is my intention to become your
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  Speaker 1: guest for a few weeks, my guest, repeated Adeline with
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  Speaker 1: a shudder. Really, my dear sister, exclaimed Vernon, somewhat impatiently.
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  Speaker 1: I am at a loss to understand the meaning of
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  Speaker 1: this excitement on your part. It is not caused by
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  Speaker 1: those reminiscence to which I er now alluded. It begins
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  Speaker 1: to assume the aspect of aversion towards myself. Pardon me
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  Speaker 1: if I speak thus plainly, But if I be indeed
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  Speaker 1: hateful to you, if slanderous tongues have wronged me in
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  Speaker 1: your estimation, if even my own brother were cruel enough
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  Speaker 1: to malign me to his wife, Mister Vernon, interrupted Adeline
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  Speaker 1: with a kind of feverish haste. Your conjectures will never
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  Speaker 1: lead you to discover the true cause of that agitation
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  Speaker 1: which I could not conquer, and which has offended you.
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  Speaker 1: The moment you addressed me, I was seized with a
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  Speaker 1: strange surprise, a wild alarm, And those feelings still influence
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  Speaker 1: me to some extent. For methinks that I have heard
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  Speaker 1: your voice before. And she fixed her eyes in a
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  Speaker 1: penetrating manner upon his countenance. It may be answered, Vernon,
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  Speaker 1: quailing not beneath that look, for he had so desperate
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  Speaker 1: a part to play at Ravensworth Hall that he knew
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  Speaker 1: how much depended upon a self command and a collectedness
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  Speaker 1: of ideas that might avert suspicion. It may be, Sister,
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  Speaker 1: that some years ago ere I left England, we met
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  Speaker 1: in those circles in which we both move by right
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  Speaker 1: of birth and social position. And although I do not
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  Speaker 1: remember that I ever had the pleasure of seeing you
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  Speaker 1: until now, still such a meeting may have occurred, and
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  Speaker 1: your mind may have retained certain impressions. No, mister Vernon
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  Speaker 1: again interrupted Adeline, that surmise, even if correct, will not
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  Speaker 1: account for the cause of my agitation to speak candidly.
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  Speaker 1: My impression was and still is. And yet, she added,
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  Speaker 1: suddenly recollecting herself, if that impression should be indeed erroneous,
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  Speaker 1: I should insult you, insult you grossly by explaining it. Proceed,
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  Speaker 1: dear sister, said Vernon, gaining additional assurance in proportion as
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  Speaker 1: Lady Ravensworth hesitated, state to me candidly the impression which
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  Speaker 1: you received, and I will as candidly answer you. Yes,
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  Speaker 1: I will tell you the reason of that excitement which
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  Speaker 1: nearly overcame me, cried Adeline, whose suspicions were robbed of
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  Speaker 1: much of their strength by the calm and apparently open
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  Speaker 1: manner of her brother in law. And believe me when
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  Speaker 1: I declare that I shall readily pardon you, however injurious
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  Speaker 1: to myself may be the impression my voice has unfortunately
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  Speaker 1: made upon you. I can make ample allowances for one
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  Speaker 1: who has lately lost a beloved husband, and whose anxieties
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  Speaker 1: have been increased by the duties of maternity, added Gilbert
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  Speaker 1: in one word. Then mister Vernon, continued Adeline. It struck
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  Speaker 1: me that on a certain evening in the month of February,
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  Speaker 1: I heard your voice, yes, your voice, in conversation with
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  Speaker 1: another person, in a ruined cottage which stands on the
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  Speaker 1: verge of the Ravensworth estate. And as she spoke, she
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  Speaker 1: again studied his countenance with the most earnest attention. Desperate
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  Speaker 1: was the effort which the guilty man exerted over the
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  Speaker 1: painful excitement of feeling which this declaration produced within him.
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  Speaker 1: In a moment, he recalled to mind all the particulars
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  Speaker 1: of his meeting with the resurrection man at the ruined lodge,
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  Speaker 1: and he also remembered that he had lost, on the
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  Speaker 1: same occasion the scrap of paper on which was written
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  Speaker 1: the address of his terrible agent in crime. But he
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  Speaker 1: did succeed in maintaining a calm exterior. Steadily he met
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  Speaker 1: the searching glance fixed upon him, and though his heart
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  Speaker 1: beat with fearful emotions, not a muscle of his countenance
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  Speaker 1: betrayed the agitation that raged within his breast. My dear sister,
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  Speaker 1: said Vernon, in a cool and collected tone. You are
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  Speaker 1: laboring under a most extraordinary delusion. Think you that there
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  Speaker 1: is not another voice in the world like mine. Believe me,
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  Speaker 1: Had I been in this country at the time to
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  Speaker 1: which you allude, I should have only felt too much
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  Speaker 1: rejoiced to have paid my respects to you at an
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  Speaker 1: earlier period than the present. Adeline listened to the deep
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  Speaker 1: tones of that voice, which now rolled upon her ear
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  Speaker 1: like a perpetuation of the echoes of the one which
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  Speaker 1: she had heard in the ruins, and she was still
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  Speaker 1: staggered at the resemblance. She also remembered that, in spite
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  Speaker 1: of the darkness of the night, she had, on that
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  Speaker 1: occasion caught a glimpse of the tall and somewhat stout
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  Speaker 1: form which had passed near her, and which she knew
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  Speaker 1: not to have been that of the resurrection man whom
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  Speaker 1: she had seen since. And she was bewildered more and more.
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  Speaker 1: But the calmness with which Vernon denied the circumstance of
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  Speaker 1: being in England at that time, the steady, honest manner
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  Speaker 1: with which he declared that she was laboring under a
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  Speaker 1: delusion in identifying his voice with the one she had
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  Speaker 1: heard in the ruined lodge, and the absence of any
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  Speaker 1: motive which she could conjecture for his maintaining his presence
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  Speaker 1: in this country, even were he really here at the
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  Speaker 1: period alluded to so profoundly secret, these arguments staggered her
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  Speaker 1: still more than even her contrary suspicions. On his side,
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  Speaker 1: Vernon was congratulating himself on the evident embarrassment of his
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  Speaker 1: sister in law, and he felt convinced that the sound
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  Speaker 1: of his voice alone, and nothing that had passed between
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  Speaker 1: him and Tidkins in the ruined cottage, had produced an
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  Speaker 1: impression upon her. You will forgive me for a momentary
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  Speaker 1: suspicion that was injurious to you, said Adeline, after a
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  Speaker 1: short pause. And now adopting the only course open to
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  Speaker 1: her in the matter. I have come to England to
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  Speaker 1: form your acquaintance, your friendship, to see if I can
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  Speaker 1: be of service to you in the position in which
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  Speaker 1: my brother's death and the birth of a son have
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  Speaker 1: placed you, to aid you in the settlement of any
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  Speaker 1: affairs which may require the interference of a relative answered Vernon.
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  Speaker 1: For these purposes have I come, and not to vex
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  Speaker 1: you by taking umbrage at impressions which, however painful to me,
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  Speaker 1: are pardonable on the side of one in your situation.
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  Speaker 1: Then let us banish from our conversation the disagreeable topic
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  Speaker 1: which has hitherto engrossed it. Exclaimed adeline. It is my
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  Speaker 1: duty to give you some information in respect to certain matters,
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  Speaker 1: and the family so elicitor will, when you may choose
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  Speaker 1: to call upon him, enter into more elaborate details. You
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  Speaker 1: are aware that your poor brother died ere his child
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  Speaker 1: was born, but so far back as last November, his
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  Speaker 1: lordship made a will, the provisions of which were so
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  Speaker 1: prudentially arranged as to apply to the welfare of either
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  Speaker 1: male or female progeny, whichever might be accorded by providence.
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  Speaker 1: Two distinguished noblemen are now my son's guardians under that will,
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  Speaker 1: and consequently the trustees of the entailed estate burn and
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  Speaker 1: bit his lip with vexation in reference to his personal property,
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  Speaker 1: continued Adeline, my lamented husband has left me sole executricks.
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  Speaker 1: A dark cloud passed over the countenance of the brother
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  Speaker 1: in law. But by a special clause in his will,
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  Speaker 1: added Lady Ravensworth, who did not observe those manifestations of
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  Speaker 1: feeling on the part of Gilbert Vernon, your deceased brother
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  Speaker 1: has ensured in your behalf double the amount of that
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  Speaker 1: pension which has hitherto been paid to you. Thus, my
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  Speaker 1: brother deemed me unworthy to be the guardian of his child.
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  Speaker 1: He also considered it prudent to exclude me from any
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  Speaker 1: share in the duty of carrying his wishes into effect,
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  Speaker 1: And he has provided me with a pittance of one
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  Speaker 1: thousand pounds a year, in spite of the necessity of
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  Speaker 1: maintaining the most complete self command over himself in order
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  Speaker 1: to carry out his plans successfully. Gilbert Vernon could not
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  Speaker 1: avoid those bitter observations which showed how deeply he was
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  Speaker 1: galled at the total want of confidence displayed in respect
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  Speaker 1: to him by his deceased brother. Adeline felt at the
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  Speaker 1: point was a delicate one, and made no reply, Fortunately
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  Speaker 1: for them, both each being much embarrassed by the present
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  Speaker 1: topic of discourse. A servant now entered to announce that
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  Speaker 1: dinner was served up. Gilbert Vernon and Lady Ravensworth accordingly
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  Speaker 1: repaired to the dining room. We may here observe that
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  Speaker 1: Lord Dunstable and mister Graham had left the mansion some
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  Speaker 1: weeks previously, the young nobleman having recovered from the wound
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  Speaker 1: which he had received in the duel. When dinner was over,
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  Speaker 1: Vernon and his sister in law returned to the drawing room,
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  Speaker 1: where coffee was served up. Adeline directed that the infant heir,
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  Speaker 1: then scarcely more than a month old, should be brought in. Gilbert,
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  Speaker 1: having hypocritically expressed a desire to see his newly born nephew.
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  Speaker 1: The request was granted. The nurse made her appearance with
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  Speaker 1: the babe, and Vernon passed upon it the usual flattering
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  Speaker 1: encomiums which are so welcome to a mother's ears. But
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  Speaker 1: there was no falsehood in those praises. However, insincere might
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  Speaker 1: be the manner in which they were uttered, for the
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  Speaker 1: infant was a remarkably fine one, and appeared sweetly interesting
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  Speaker 1: as it slept in the nurse's arms. Vernon flattered the
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  Speaker 1: mother's vanity so adroitly by distant but by no means
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  Speaker 1: unintelligible allusions to her own good looks as he spoke
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  Speaker 1: of the child that she began to consider him a
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  Speaker 1: far more agreeable man than she had at first supposed
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  Speaker 1: he could possibly prove to be. Shortly after the nurse
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  Speaker 1: had retired with the child, Quentin entered the drawing room, and,
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  Speaker 1: addressing himself to Vernon, said, your valet has just arrived, sir,
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  Speaker 1: with your baggage, if her ladyship will permit me, returned Gilbert,
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  Speaker 1: I will withdraw for a few moments to give my
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  Speaker 1: servant some instructions. I am about to retire to my
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  Speaker 1: own chamber. Mister Vernon, observed Adeline, and shall leave you
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  Speaker 1: an undisturbed possession of this apartment. Your valet can therefore
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  Speaker 1: wait upon you here. Quentin withdrew for the purpose of
• 17:23
  Speaker 1: sending mister Vernon's domestic to the drawing room, and Lady Ravensworth,
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  Speaker 1: having remained for a few moments to finish her coffee
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  Speaker 1: also retired on the landing, she heard hasty steps approaching,
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  Speaker 1: and almost immediately afterwards, Quentin appeared, followed by the Honorable
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  Speaker 1: Gilbert Vernon's valet. They passed Lady Ravensworth as she was
• 17:48
  Speaker 1: about to ascend the stairs leading from the brilliantly lighted
• 17:51
  Speaker 1: landing to the floor above. But oh horror, was it possible?
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  Speaker 1: Did her eyes deceive her? Was she the sport of
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  Speaker 1: a terrible illusion? No? A second glance at the countenance
• 18:08
  Speaker 1: of the false vellet was sufficient to confirm the appalling
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  Speaker 1: suspicion which the first look in that direction had suddenly
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  Speaker 1: excited within her. For his was a countenance which, once seen,
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  Speaker 1: if only for a moment, could never be forgotten. And
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  Speaker 1: in spite of the new suit of complete black which
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  Speaker 1: he wore, in spite of the care that had been
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  Speaker 1: bestowed upon his person, in spite of the pains which
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  Speaker 1: a globe town barber had devoted to his usually matted hair,
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  Speaker 1: it was impossible not to recognize in this individual so
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  Speaker 1: disguised the instrument of Adeline's own crime, The Terrible Resurrection Man.
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  Speaker 1: End of section ninety seven, recording by Linda Johnson SA