The Mysteries of London, Vol. IV — page 26: what you’re looking at

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

TIE MYSTERIES OF LONDON. The crowd had now not only increased to such an 219 “My God!” murmured the unhappy man, clasping extent as to render the way perfectly impassable; but | his hands together; “who shall break these fearful a tremendous sensation suddenly seized upon the as- } tidings to your father and your sister? And will they semblage,—the news that Tom Rain, the celebrated highwayman, lad escaped death by some miraculous means, and was once more in custody, circulating like wild-fire. Dykes and Bingham, knowing that in such a case the sympathies of the mob were most likely to turn in favour of the prisoner, hurried him and Old Death into the house, whither they were followed by three or four other constables; and the door was im- mediately closed in the face of the crowd, and secured within. On reaching the sitting-room on the first-floor, the party halted; and Old Death, now completely over- come by the excitement of the incidents which had so rapidly succeeded each other in a short half-hour, threw himself exhausted into a chair. “ Well, Mr. Rainford,” said Dykes, with something like a malicious grin, “I am sorry for this business— but how, in the name of all that’s wonderful, did you escape after being so deuced well hung asI seed you was with my own eyes?” “Silence!” ejaculated Rainford, in an imperious tone: “and come with me at once down below. For, as sure 4s you are there, murder—a horrible murder has been committed by that wretch,” pointing to Old Death, who now quivered beneath his furious looks; “and, if you doubt it, behold the blood upon his hands!” added Tom Rain, with a cold shudder. “ Bring him along with us, Bingham,” said Dykes, addressing his brother officer. “ No—no—I won’t go down there again!” yelled forth the murderer, his countenance becoming con- yulsed with horror; for he was now afraid of his crime, in the revulsion of his feelings. “Well—Ict him stay here in custody,” observed Dykes; “and me and a couple of the runners will go with Mr. Rainford.” The officer and the two myrmidons whom he had selected, accordingly proceeded with Tom Rain into the room where the trap-door of the spiral stair-case had been left open by Old Death; and the constables surveyed each other «with mingled apprehension and astonishment. “You are not afraid?” exclaimed Rainford, in a contemptuous tone, as he lighted a lamp: then, with impatient excitement, he cried, “Do your duty, and come with me. Life may still be left in her—come— come!” “Yes—yes: we shall go along with you, sure enough,” growled Dykes, as he led the way, followed by Rainford—the two runners closing the rear. In three minutes more the little party entered the dungeon which had so lately been the prison-house of Old Death: and there what a dreadful spectacle met their eyes! The murdered Jady was stretched upon the floor—her countenance horribly discoloured and swollen—the forehead completely smashed by the blow inflicted by the lamp which had been dashed at her— and her eyes staring witha stony glare, as if about to slart out of their sockets. “OQ Tamar! Tamar! my dearest — best beloved Tamar!” cried Tom Rain, ina tone of bitter—bitter. anguish, as he threw himself upon his knees by the side of the corpse. : The officers, rude in heart, and rendered obdurate as . they were by the very nature of their profession, stood back in respectful silence at this outburst of sorrow from the lips of the resuscitated highwayman. a not reproach me?——will they not attribute this fright- ful calamity to that project of reformation which I had devised in behalf of Benjamin Bones? O Tamar —my dearest Tamar—who could have foreseen that such a terrible destiny was in store for thee!” And, bowing down his head, he wept bitterly. Suddenly loud voices were heard from the top of the spiral stair-case, summoning Dykes thither. “Come along, sir—it is useless to remain here!” cried the officer, speaking hastily but respectfully to Tom Rain, who suffered himself to be led away—or rather, he did not offer any resistance to those who conducted him thence. “ Well—what now!” demanded Dykes, hurrying up the steps, at the head of which his friend Bingham was continuing to shout after him. “Why—don't you know,” was the reply, “that Government has offered a reward for the diskivery of the chap wot carried off Sir Christopher Blunt aud Dr. Lascelles—about that there Torrens’s affair-——” “ Well—what then?” cried Dykes, impatiently. “ Blowed if it ain’t Tom Rain,” responded Bingham : “he did it—and we’ve knabbed him. So that’s a cool two hundred and fifty a piece!” ‘By goles!” ejaculated Dykes, his countenance ex- panding into the most glorious humour possible, as 1f all remembrance of the horrible scene he had just witnessed wero banished from his mind: “ this is good news, though,” he added, as he emerged from the stair-case into the little back room with which it com- municated. “But how do you know that the chap as kidnapped the knight and the doctor is Mr. Rain- ford?” “ Beeause ve been talking with old Ben Bones,” answered Bingham; “and he told me as how he’d been kidnaped too, and kept a prisoner down there for a matter of ten weelks;—and how there was a lot on ’em—and Jush Pedler and Tim Splint among the rest. So, when he mentioned them names, I pricks up my ears—and I asks him a question or two; and I find that they was all kidnapped just at the time that the Torrens affair was a-making sich a noise: so it’s a clear case.” “Clear enough, to be sure!” exclaimed Dykes. * Bon Bones doesn’t seem to know any thing about that affair,” continued Dykes: “cos why, he was lugged off and took down in that there place afore the business was made public by Sir Christopher and the doctor. But, I say—what has happened below ?’ “A young o’oman killed—that’s all,” answered Dykes. “So here’s a pretty day’s business for us, Bingham: a man that had been hung, took up fust— then a murder diskivered, and the murderer in our power—and now this here affair about the Govern ment reward. Well—we v’e been rather slack lately- and a little okkipation ’s quite a blessin’.” Thus conversing together, Mr. Dykes and Mr. Bingham returned to the apartment where Old Death was still sitting ina chair, watched by a couple of constables: but the moment Rainford, who had only a confused idea of what was passing around him, was led into that room, he started back in horror—ex- claiming, “ No—no: I cannot bear to be in the com- pany of this dreadful man!” Old Death, to whom he pointed, grinned in savage triumph: but Rainford had already rushed back into the laboratory, attended by Dykes and two runneta rere (C(O) (C DOO SS (SO)