The Mysteries of London, Vol. IV — page 218: what you’re looking at

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Paeemmenedl THE MYSTERIES OF LONDON. 211 “Murder! oh—my God!” moaned Torrens, { clasping his hands together in convulsive anguish, as he glared wildly around. . “ Do not afieot ignorance of the fact,” said Mrs. Mortimer: “ because you are doubtless well aware that I was arrosted for your crime.” “No—no: you cannot prove that I did it—you can prove nothing!” cried Torrens, with a species of hysterical violence. “T can prove that you were the murderer of Per- cival?’? responded the old woman, fixing her eyes ternly upon her husband. “ Liar—wretch—I defy you!” exclaimed Torrens, his energy suddenly reviving as he saw the absolute necessity of mecting with boldness a charge which he felt convinced his wife could not prove against him : for how could she possibly entertain anything more serious than a bare suspicion ¢ “Harsh words and abuso will not intimidate me,” said sho, in a quict voice; “and all these variations in your mManner—necrvousness at one moment, terror the next, and then oxcitement—only tend to con- firm me in my ideas. Listen, old man—and g&ce whether I have just ground for thoso ideas, and whother you copld explain away my tale, if told to the nearest police-magistrate.” Torrens groaned audibly, and fell back in his chair—but notinsensible—only in the exhaustion of “his physical and the prostration of his moral enow gies; and his eyes glared in consternation on the countenance of the accusing fiend whose very pre- sence would have been intolerable, even if he had committed no crime for her to be able to accuse him of. ‘Disten, 1 say,” resumed tho implacable old woman. “You wero at Percival’s houses fow moments before myself and daughter called upon him. You ‘seemed to be very miserable—so miser- able that you wished to obtain assistance from him. These were tho very words he used to me; and ho observed likewise that he never gave—consequently you extorted nothing from him. But you watched through the window-shutters, from the out- side, tho interview which took place between him and myself and daughter: you beheld the gold and the notes displayed upon the table; and when tho old miser was once more alone, you entered the howse—and—and you murdered him witha blud- geon {” Torrens started convulsively, and endeavoured to give uttcrance to an ejaculation of denial; but his tonguo clave to the roof of his mouth, and his throat was as parched as if he had been swallowing ashes, “Yes—you murdered him,” repeated Mrs. Morti- mer, apparently dwelling with fiendish delight upon the horrible accusation: **you beat the wretched man to death—your blows were dealt with a cruel, a merciless effect. Then you plundered the iron safe—you took all tho treasure contained in the tin-caso—gold and bank-notes to the amount of soyeral thousands of pounds !” “Tt ig not true—il is not true!” said Torrens, partially recovering the power of specch. “But it gs true—all truo—precisely as I now repeat tho details,” cried Mrs, Mortimer, emphati- cally, _ “You aro mad to think mo the possessor of such a treasure, when you find me in this miscrable placo, with thread-bare garments, and surrounded by every proof of a poverty amounting almost to -_— utter destitution,” said Torrens, his courage to meet the charge somewhat reviving as ho flattered himself that the argumont just used was decisive and unanswerable. ‘Do you imagine mo to be go thoroughly ignorant of the world as to become your dupe on such easy terms?” demanded the old woman, in a tone of withering scorn. “Look at all [ have passed through, and then ask yourself whether it bo pos- sible to deceive and mislead me! No, no—I under- stand it all, You believe that suspicion will never fall upon the wretched inmate of such a wretched place,” she continued, glancing slowly around the cellar—‘ and your calculation is a correct one. Here might you have concealed yourself—here might you have passed some weoks in apparent po- verty, until the storm should have blown over. But it was destined that one person should obtain a clue to your guilt and a traco to your lurking-hole—and that person is myself! Nay, to convince you how well all your late proceedings aro known to me, | have only to mention the fact that a few days ago you visited the cottage which once bore your rame ——’’. “Ah!” ojaculated Torrens, startled by this now proof of how well-informed his hated wifo in rea- lity was concerning his movements. “ Yes—and to the fair inmate of that dwelling,” Sle added, with a look full of malignant meaning, “you admitted that you wore poor no longer, but that you wished you indeed were the penniless and half-starving wretch you had so recently been! Thus tho very outpourings of your remorse, old man, have furnished me with argumonts—damning arguments—against you, and confirmed all my pro- vious suspicions, if such confirmation were for an instant needed.” "Why do you now come to me?” asked Torrons, in a faint and faltering tone, whilo his entire frame trombled nervously, and his countenance became g0 ghastly, that it was absolutely hideous to behold. “My purpose is stern and immoveable,” replied the old woman, “And that purpose—is——” faltered Torrons, trembling like an aspen. “ Phe surrender of every shilling—yes, every shil- ling—of the treasure which you plundered from the murdered Percival,” was tho answer. “Malodiction!” ejaculated the wrotched man, starting wildly from his scat asif he had received a sudden wound: thon, sinking back again through sheer oxhaustion, ho pressed his hand to his throb- bing brows, murmuring and lamenting in broken sentonces sucli asthese :-—" My gold—my notes—the treasure I lost my souk to gain—the riches I had hoped to enjoy—the wealth to acquiro which I im- brued my hands in blood—the blood of a fellow- creature—no—no-—you shail not haye my trea- sure.” And he started up, flinging his arms wildly about lim, while bis eyes rolled horribly in their sockets, as ifhe were attacked by delirium. Mrs. Mortimer sate calm and motionless, resolved to allow the paroxysm to pass cre sho reiteratod her stern demand. She knew—sho saw that ho was in her power,—now more so than ever, sinco he had admitted the dread crime by his unguarded excla- mations. “ Woman, you will drive me mad!” suddenlycried her husband, falling back again into his seat, and ——_ += ~~ ee ee ee ewe (C(O) (C DOO <S LL (SO)