The Mysteries of London, Vol. IV — page 266: what you’re looking at

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a Ing to bo avenged for a trick he playcd me, and which ho doos not think I even suspect. The fact is, wo robbed a houso together; and Bob in ran- sicking a chest of drawers, got hold of a bag full of sovereigns. Je stuck to them, and never uttered n word about thom when wo afterwards divided the. swag. I found it out through an advortisoment that appeared in tho papers offering a roward for the apprehension of the burglars, and specifying the things stolen. Ho never saw that advertisement, I know; and I did not tell him of it. I howover sworo to have my turn against him sooner or later;—and J bided my timo, That time is now come—and I shall let him know it before many hours are over his head.” “But are you certain that you can find him? and, even supposing that you do succeed in tracing him to his lurking-hole, how do you know that the old man will be thero also?” demanded Mrs. Mor- timer. “ There ts no tracing out Vitriol Bob in the mat- ter,” exclaimed Jack Rily. “Tho moment he has committed o robbery, he always goes straight to his usual haunt, and remains there for a few days till the storm has blown over. AS & mere precau- tion, ho will compel his pal—this old man—to go with him; becauso ifthe latter was taken up by the Dotectives, he might be induced to peach against Bob—and all that. So I am suro we shall find them together: unless, indeed,” added the Doctor, in a tone of diminishing confidence,— unless, I say, tho ald mau knows that you daro not raiso a hue and cry touching this robbery.” “On the contrary,” returned Mrs, Mortimer, “ that old man, whose namo is Torrens, has overy reason to believe that I would persecute him with tho most implacable vengeance which a human being is capable of exporiencing or inflicting.” “So much tho better!” cried Jack Rily, grin- ning joyously: “in this case wo aro sure of our prey.” - And is tho gamo to bo played by violence, or by cunning?” asked Mrs. Mortimer. “By violence, my good lady—by violence, to be sure!” responded tho burglar, his cyes glowing savagely, with their ominous yellow lustre—as if the orbs of a tigor wero glaring upon tho woman: and, though the gorgeous sun-light was flooding the small chamber with its golden haze, still shone that yellow lustre apart—distinct—and sinister. “By violence?” repeated Mrs. Mortimer, awful thoughts relative to Vitriol Bob’s peculiar modo of proceeding rushing in upon her soul. “Pow can it bo done otherwise?” demanded Jack Rily. “When I first came up to you just now, I was going to propose to onlist in the service a pal of mine—and of Vitriol Bob’s also—who would aid and assist: but then ho would require his thirds as a matter of course. Since, however, you have in- formed mo that Bob’s companion in tho robbery is an old, omaciated, feoble man, and that you can master him by yourself, you and I will keop tho business in our own hands, I will undortako to tackle Vitriol Bob, if you will mako sure of the other.” “ And supposing that your opponent should ovor- power you ?” said Mrs. Mortimer. “J will take care that he does not,” returned Rily. “Trust me to subdue him——” “And without bloodshed?” observed the old woman, shuddering—for, deprayed and wicked as THE MYSTERIES OF LONDON. 261 she was, she grew cold and her heart sank within her at the idea of murder. ‘Como, if you’re squeamish, you had better aban- don the project and lcave it all to me,” said the Doctor. “If Vitriol Bob should place my lifo in danger, at that moment he is a dead man. Solf- preservation, ma’am, is the first law of nature. At the saine time, I shall not kill Aim, unless it is to save myself: of this you may bo assured.” Tho old woman remained silont for somo mo- ments. Should she embark in an enterprise so re- plete with danger ?—should sho Incur tho risk of becoming an accomplice ina murdor? She trembled at the thought: and yet her monoy—tho money that sho had come over to England to obtain—would bo totally lost to her wero shoe to shrink from the en- denvour to recovor it. Jt was true that, even if it wore rogained, ono half would pass into the hands of a stranger: but was it not better to roturn to Paris with two thousand seven hundred pounds in her pocket, than with an empty purse? The stako was worth vonturing ;—and her indecision vanished. “Tam not squeamish in the matter,” she said at length. “Our bargain and our arrangoments hold good in all respects. That villain Torrons shall not have the laugh against mo: on the contrary, 1 must be avenged upon him !” _©Thero!—now you aro my fino old hyona—my adorable tigor-cat, once again!” criod the Doctor, “T long to 660 you pounco upon old Torrons, as you call him; and I would give the best fivo years of my life, could I endow you with a completo set of claws, instead of those comparatively harmless finger-nails! Wouldn’t you‘tear his eyes out of his head? wouldn’t you strike them deep into his flesh? Do you know that Satan will obtain a glo- rious acquisition when tho timo comes for him to mako a fiend of you %” And again tho monstor’s horrible hilarity rang through tho little chambor, as he threw himsolf back in the chair and laughed with tho most savage heartiness, ‘For morcy’s sake! coaso this unnatural gaicty,” oxclaimed tho old woman, scarcely able to subdue her rage. “Oh! I must laugh,” cricd tho wretch, sputtor- ing through his frightful hare-lip,—‘ if it is only to make you look as ferocious as you do now.” Mrs. Mortimer turned towards tho window with disgust; and the wrotch’s mirth diod away in gut- tural sounds. “Come, now—I told you that you must not bo angry with me, madam,” ho said, at length. “It is my nature to laugh heartily at times—and suroly you won't check such an innocent propensity. But I will take my leave of you now; and at half-past ten to-night we must moot at some place as noar Stamford Strect as you choose.” “Whoro shall it bo?” asked the old woman. “Namo the spot—and I shall bo punctual to the moment.” “There is a narrow lane running along tho side of Christ Church burial-ground,” responded the burglar, after a few moments’ reflection: “ it leads from the Blackfriars Road into Collingwood Street I suppose you know London well——” “Oh! porfectly. Go on,” said Mrs, Mortimer. “Well—we will meet in that crooked lano at half-pust ten oxactly,” continued Jack Rily. “By the by,” ho added, rising from his chair, * you had bottor tell the landlady down stairs that you found ee ee (C(O) (C DOO SS (SO)