The Boy Soldier; Or, Garibaldi's Young Captain — page 37: what you’re looking at

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

THE BOY SOLDIER; OR, GARIBALDI’S YOUNG CAPTAIN. 31 never been born! Until I robbed the widow and fatherless, years and years ago, I never felt that hellish thirst for money which now consumes me. It isa curse upon me! My hands are blighted— my heart has turned to stone, andI am a blood- dyed villain for the sake of pelf !” These words were uttered by old Flint with so much earnestness that his brain seemed all on fire. Acts in his life, long years past, now flitted through his mind like so many revengeful demons. He thought he could even hear voices of the dead shouting in his ears— “You have robbed the orphan and widow ; you have foresworn their right and title; you have con- spired for their death. You have done all this for gold! gold! gold! Where is now the peace of mind and happiness you promised yourself would come when you had accomplished your last purpose on old Ford? Gold you wanted—gold you have— gold shall be your curse! Your ill-gotten wealth, like a mill-stone round your neck, shall pull you down to the lowest loathsome pit of hell !”” These thoughts, as they flitted through his fever- heated brain—these imaginary voices which shouted in his ears with the strength of the town crier— seemel to chill his very marrow, and his eyes emitted a fiery glow as if his aching brain was nought but a burning furnace inhabited by shrick- ing devils. ) “ Oh, the curse of money!” he groaned. ‘ What would I not now give for a moment's peace and innocence! But my heart is seared with crime— my hands are red with blood—aye, as gory as Warner's! What shall I do?—confess all and then destroy myself ?” For a moment he reflected, and then laughed in a wild defiant manner, “ Kill myself 1’ he chuckled, “what an idiot I am to thiuk of such a thing! No, no; courage, Flint, courage. What is man without money? I am not the only one who has gotten it dishonestly, and by blood. too. Zhey live and prosper —why not I? Yes, sol will. I will live like a prince on the fat of the land, and drown all remorse in the best of wine.” Walking to a pump, he washed the blood off his hands and face—the blood which had flown from his cut face, and the dark gory stains on his hands, which had smeared them when fumbling the bec- clothes in his room. This seemed to refresh him much. He next went into a public house, and had a quartern of hot brandy and water, This was quickly and ravenously gulped down, when, to cheer him- self still further, he went into a sccond and a third public house, and had a like quantity,~ The effects of the brandy was soon apparent, so much so, that on his way through the streets he laughed aud chuckled to himself, and began laying out his plans for the future. In imagination he pictured to himself a palace- like residence, splendid parks and orchards, mag- nificent carriages and horses, and his son Joel a Member of Parliament. ‘‘T must keep out of Warner’s way, though,” he thought, ‘‘ or there will be murder between us, For this purpose, in case I might meet him on some dark night, I will always go armed—yes, I'll carry two revolvers, double-loaded, and a dagger. But, Lor, what should I fear him for? He'll never trouble me; the police are close to his heels by this time. I hope they'll hunt him down! Calcraft would then have a job, I wouldn’t mind giving a strong pull at his legs myself. Ha, ha! He’s the only one that knows anything about it; if I get him out of the way I can hold up my head with the best in the land. Flint, Mr. Flint,eh? Well, well, how I have deceived them all! Ha, ha! They may hunt for Mr. Flint as long as they like. Old Ford used to call me by that name, and I adopted it. Even Joel doesn’t know anything to the con- trary ; he little thinks that his and my right name is Smidt, <A fine old Detch name, truly, and I’m not ashamed of it, The Dutch are the cutest and coolest villains out. Ha, ha! I will go over to Germany, and buy a grand tle. Let me see, for a few hundred pounds I could be made a count, a baron, or even a duke. What would sound the best ?—Count Smidt, Baron von Smidt, or—— _ Yes, that’s it: Baron yon Smidt, of—-— Where shall it be? Oh, I know, old Ford has the title to an estate he bought there among his papersin my safe. Ill go by the title of that domain, All is mine now. Ha, ha! Money’s the thing, Joel will marry a lord’s daughter, or something grand, and we will live in princely style.” While thus thinking as he walked along, he stepped into a coffee shop that had just opencd, and soon fell aslecp over a cup of tea. It was in a very low neighbourhood, dirty and ill-lighted, He was aroused by the whispered conversation of two men, several boxes away. L “Don’t speak so loud,” said one; “that old chap might hear us.” “No fear,’ said the other. sound as a top.” Greatly to old Flint’s surprise he heard these two men whispering about Ford’s murder. One was Warner, entirely changed in dress ; the other, Bul Barney ! He was horrified to discover this, but still held his head low, and snored on as if fast asleep. He heard Warner say that after he had “ finished the old man” he looked for the treasure, but found none. He managed to escape, and rushed off to old Flint’s lodgings just in time to find it all in flames. Here he met with Bill Barney, who had been roused out of bed by the clamorous noise of ‘fire !”’ Warner appeared sadly disappointed that he could not discover what had become of the lawyer, whose throat he threatened to cut on the instant he met him unless he divided the booty. A threat which the half-bred pug coincided in fully, as he murmured, “ Jest so; cut his wizzon fust, and chuck him in the Thames arter, is my adwice ; no marey on sich slimy coves as he is. Jest you on’y point him out . to me, that’s all, 2’22 soon ‘do’ for him.” At that instant two policemen came in and called for the landlord. Warner and Bill Barney moved away from each other and began to read newspapers, hiding their faces as much as possible. The two policemen wished t6 know if the land- lord had let any of his beds the night before to any persons of suspicious appearance, “as there was a party which was wanted.” The landlord protested that though his shop was a dirty, dingy one, and situated in a very dis- reputable neighbourhood, he was sure that none of his beds had been let out to improper persons, men or women ; an oath, by the way, which most coffee- shop keepers will willingly swear to, although they know, on the contrary, that after certain hours their rooms are frequented both by prostitutes and thieves more than any other class. The two officers went upstairs to examine the apartments, for suspicious parties had been traced there, ‘‘He’s sleeping as COMcOOKS. conn