The Mysteries of London, Vol. IV — page 21: what you’re looking at

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eee ee eee rere —a A A SS OE Oe oh Yn I we ll see —— ee re eee ee 14 a TUE MYSTERIES OF LONDON. i “ And shall you ponder upon what I have said?” )and I seo that I am righteonsly punishe, But she demanded. though Iam penitent, you have no confidence in mo 6s bed a ® v a ° Yes. But you will not leave mo yot?—and you | yot—and that gives me poin. Yon are afraid to will come again?” he said, in a voice indicative of | trust yourself with me! Do you tink taet Lwould suspense and anxiety relative to the pnayer thot }hemm you?" was to be given. “Yowill return tosmorras 0 cot orsed Dether, “Phank you! creck ced Old Leith, his tane now denoting a profe ie + waoetien, DGutEsther did neta: re da telly dees the cellon the proc ntecsasion, Ditiesine that che had succeeded in misting some cahutirs imprest ion upon him, she wes detirou- of foliowin.: ap the pro- mising commencomentofhermsi 1.3 .ad sheaccord- ingty continued tox acon wita Lin for nearly half sue hour lonecr, In the course of tle ob-crvations and arguinents which che addressed to the ancient sin ner, she displayed « sound judgment and a deep but enlightened religious feeling: there was nothing bigoted—nuthing fanatical in her language. She indulged in no quotations from the Old Pestament— tho book that formed the basis of hers own nation’s creel: but sho expatiated on the goodness of the Creator—the hope that exists for penitent sinners— the terrors of a death-bed without previous repent- ance—and the folly, as well as the wiekedness, of the course already pursued by the prisoner. Old Death interrupted hor but seldom; and when ho did interject an observation, it was in a tone and of a nature calculoted to inspire the charming Jewess with the hopo that her mission had not been under- taken in vain, At length she quitted the vicinity of tho cell, having reiterated her promise vo return on the fol- lowing day. And this pledgo was faithfulsy hept j~-and again do we find the Tfebrow maiden persevering in her humance—her noble task of awakening proper fcel- ings in tho breast of a terrible sinner. To her ques- tion whether he had meditated upon his spiritual condition, Old Death replied earnestly and eagerly in the affirmative; and throughout this second visit, ho not only sourht to retain the roung Jady near Inm—or rather at his door—as lony as possible, but likowise seemed sincere in his ondeavouts to inspira her with the belief that her reasoning and her representations had not been thrown away upon him. On the third das, Iisther fsacied that there was even o Still more striking change in his language when he responded to her questions or her remarks ; and not once, during the hour that sho remained standing outside his dungeon, addressing him ina stylo of fervid clonuence which camo from her very heart,—not once, we say, did ho give the least sign of that ferocity and savage impatience which cha- racterised his behaviour on tho first occasion of her visit, For a fortnight did the Hebrew maiden continsc hor visits regularly, without however venturing to enter the dungeon. (On the fifteenth day she found the prisoner unxiously expecting her arrival as usial; and almost immediately after she had drawn aside tho panel and announced her presence, he said, “Oh! dear young lady, Iam so glad you are come! I have been thinking so much—so very much over all you lave fately told me; and TI have felt comforted by repeating to myself the arguments you advance urging me to repentance. Ah! Miss, J have bean a dreadful sinner—a dreadful sinner ; 8S ite er ee wnt Y - Cthesreinity og | ( T hape nei’ replied Esther; ‘Sand yen chailrot mpeh jomrer have to seeuse me of went of canki- dence in you. 2 am ploe.sed to obeorve that yeu at lenwth good how choline it itt. beccme anel pret af mistrust and suspicion.” © You ere an cagel, young lady” cxelaimed B on- Jamin Bones, approuching the door on the onter 2} of which stond the Hitrew maifen. “No one on eorth save yourself could have made evel an ime pression upon my mind, and in soshortatine. But will you promise me one thine ?%” “Name your request,” said Esther, “That you will not send eny man to converse with me,” answered Old Death, “ You aie af the gentle sex—and that is why your sweet veire ite had such power and influence with me. Tal thet gentleman—whoever he is~—continued to vi it me, ho would have done no good. I suspect ry own sex :—] do not think that men can be eo sincere— So conscientions———~” “The gentleman to whom you allude will not visit you again without your consent,” interrupted Es- ther. “To have undertaken this mission, and will fulfil it to the utmost of my ability. Il have now something important to communicate,—important indeed, I should imagine, to one who has been so long in darkness, In a word, I intend to give you 2 lamp-——” *Ohs excellent young lady!” cried Benjamin Bones, in a voice expressive of the most unfeigned joy. “Malo haste and open the dour—vive me the light——" *Nay—J must not manifest too much confidence in you allat once, See what itis to have been so long the votary of crime and wickedness—ron inepire a’ mistrust which cannot be dissipated ina mament.” “What can I do to convince you of my penitence —-my gratitude?” demanded Old Death, in an car- nest—auxious tone. ‘Leave me to judge for mysclf relative to your state of mind,’ said Esther. “ You perceive that I already begin to entertain hopes coneerning you: the proof is that I now give you « lamp—and a beok aiso, if you have a sincere inclination to examine itg pages.” As she uttered these words, Est ver unfastened the grating which covered the aperture, and passed the lamp through to Old Death—then the volume to which she had alludcc. The light flashed upon his countenaneo as he ree ceived the lamp; and it struck Esther that thcro was something hidcous even in the expression of joy which now animated those repulsive fe atures -— but she knew that looks which had grown sinister and become stamped with ferocious menace during the lapse of many, many years, sould not be changed nor improved in a moment, however great were tho moral reformation that had taken nlace within. “Thanks, dear young Jady—a thousand thinks !” exclaimed Old Death, as he placed the Inmp upon the table: then, after a few minutes’ pause, during which ho looked into tho book, he said ina tone of surptice, “ But vou havo brought me a Bible cov. taining tho Now as well as the Old Testament—and xet yourself only believe in the Jattarz” Ta ot we te eas ww oe —oe te ~~ oe emt A Thy (SO) GIOOKS (SO)