The Young Duchess; or, Memoirs of a Lady of Quality — page 298: what you’re looking at

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

2R4 ‘“‘T do not know whether you have any know- ledge,” inquired Ponchard, “of two old women named Morphew, that keep a house in Granby Street, Waterloo Road? No—you have not heard of them? Well, they are-two poor old creatures who are loose enough in their morals to keep a house of this description ; but they would go into fits, call in the police, and expose everything if they only entertained the slightest suspicion that there was a dead body in their cellar. However, there it is—and the sooner it’s removed away the better.” ‘“‘ Any back entrance to the premises?” asked Grills. “No,” replied the Frenchman: “ but there’s an entrance from the cellar into the front kitchen, out of which there’s a well-contrived means of egress into a narrow alley running between that house and the adjoining one.” ““Then the business can be easily managed,” said Grills; ‘‘and whenever you like, sir,” he added, rising from his seat. ‘‘ What do you propose ?” inquired Ponchard. “At the back of these premises‘of Gur’n,” re- joined Grills, “‘there’s a stable which is let to a cab-driver, a werry intimate friend of mine; for I often puta guinea or so into Nat Bulmer’s pocket. If there’s a young gal to be carried off, or anything of that sort, Nat’s by no means par- tikler ” “Ah! but that’s a different thing altogether,” exclaimed Ponchard, shaking his head deprecat- ingly. ‘I should not like too many persons to be engaged in this piece of business which we have now in hand.” - “No—and I didn’t mean anything of the sort,” interjected Mr. Grills. ‘But this is what I do mean. I can goand have the use of Nat Bulmer’s cab, for which I shall give him a yaller boy, and tell him it’s to run off with some squeamish young damsel, or summut of that sort. So Nat will never be any the wiser, and will never ask to be. Look you, sir—just name your own time, and at the werry moment you may expect to see a cab drive up to the entrance of that alley you spoke about. So you must be upon the alert and have everything ready, that the cab mayn’t be kept waiting an instant longer than is necessary, for fear any rascally Bluebottle should take it into his head to peep into it just at the moment when peep- ing would be most inconwenient.” “‘ What o’clock is it now ?” asked the French- man. ‘‘Tt must be about a quarter of an hour past midnight,” responded Mrs. Grills. ‘Well then, in three-quarters of an hour—that is to say, exactly at one o’clock— let the cab drive up. Jump down—have the door open—and rsckon upon everything being conducted with such de- spatch that you will be able to start again in the twinkling of an eye.” “So far, so good,” said Grills. ‘And now for an earnest to seal the bargain. In the first place I shall want a sovereign to give Nat Bulmer— which is of course over and above the twenty pounds I’m to have clear for myself.” “No doubt,” said Ponchard, producing his purse. ‘‘ Here is money for the cab—here are ten pounds on account of the sum promised to your- gelf.’ ‘Quite fair and straightfor’ard,” said Grills, THE YOUNG DUCHESS; OR, MEMOIRS OF A LADY OF QUALITY. as he counted the gold, which he then handed to his wife. ‘Now lend me a sack and a piece of cord to tie the mouth of it,” said the Frenchman. This request was promptly complied with ; and having folded up the sack in the smallest possible compass, he secured it about his person, buttoning his coat over it. He then quitted the house, and made the best of his way towards Granby Street, pondering all the details of the business which he had in hand, and which, as the reader may have seen, he treated with all the coolness of one who had been accustomed to encounter the storms, the perils, and the difficulties of life, and who knew that they were only to be weathered or sur- mounted by means of a calm head, an intrepid heart, and a steady hand. It was about twenty minutes to one o'clock when he reached the house in Granby Street ; and the front door was immediately opened by one of the old women, who were not in the habit of retiring very early to bed, by reason of the in- famous occupation which they followed. ‘‘Any one here, Dame Morphew?” asked Pon- chard of the elder sister, who thus gave him ad- mittance. ‘“‘Yes, monsieur—I think there is one of your, friends,” was the reply given by the old woman, who spoke with a grammatical precision and cor- rectness which showed that she was by no means an uneducated person. “Please to attend to me a moment, ma’am,” said Ponchard, thus stopping to converse with the dame in the passage. ‘“ It may suit me and my friend to remain a long time in consultation to- night; and as you will presently be wanting to go to bed. “Tcan sit up to let you out,” said the old woman, who was exceedingly civil because she was very well paid by the conspirators. ‘Why should you sit up for us? Not a bit of it! We can let ourselves out through the secret passage ; and in fact we would rather have the command of that avenue, because it renders us more independent ‘of any strangers who may chance to be in your house.” Well, just as you like, monsieur,” answered the dame, receiving at the same time a couplé of half-crowns which Ponchard slipped into her hand. “TI will go and lock the door of the front kitchen, so that nobody shall be able to enter it: for some of these unruly young people who come here at times—especially the girls—will insist on going down there to have supper, or to get hot water ” “Well, my good woman,” interjected Poncbard, ‘* vo and lock the kitchen-door, as you say—and get to bed when you like. We shall not disturb you.” Ponchard then passed on towards the back room, and knocked with the usual peculiarity at the massive door. This was at once opened by Karl Petronoff, who was as perfectly cool and col- lected as the Frenchman himself, so that he exhi- bited no suspense, nor any particular anxiety to learn from his friend whether all the promised arrangements had been made for the dispogal of the corpse. “ Everything is settled,” said Ponchard, closing and fastening the iron-plated door ; and then, ag he leisurely took a seat, he entered upon explana, COMO YN Wn) Colin