The Mysteries of London, Vol. IV — page 300: what you’re looking at

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

DHE MWYSTHRIEL expiration | the judge-advocate declared that Leonard Mitchel. thorabfect. One evoning,—it was at the ofthesix monthsalready alluded to—the conversation had become moro than ordinarily interesting to the pair—tho supper was later than usual—and Ellen had ordered a bottloof champagno by way of an addi- tional treat. Jeonard was romarkably temperate in his habits; and the wine excited-him considera- bly. Ho was not however tipsy—only very much animated; and the timo passed away more rapidly than the lovers had imagined. At length, a neigh- bouring clock proclaimed tho hour when Leonard should be in quarters: and, starting up, he snatched a hasty embrace, and hurried away. He reached tho barracks ten minutes after the proper time; and as he was traversing the yard, deeply regretting that he should be even such a trifle too late, he meta young cornet who had only joined the regiment six weeks previously. ‘‘ Holloa, you sir!’ cried Lord Satinot; for such was the officer’s appellation: “what the devil do you mean by coming in at this hour?”—Leonard, porceiving that his lordship was s0 tipsy as to be scarcely able to stand, ondearourod to get away without making any answer.—" Stop there, damn your eyes!” exclaimed the, nobleman. “What’s your number? Oh! B 57. Very well. But, damn your cyes!” repeated his lordship ; “you're drunk—as drunk as a beast, I declare.”— “Tam not, my lord!” cried Leonard, indignantly: and again he made for tho door leading to his quarters, — “You infernal scoundrel!” vocife- rated tho splendid specimen of aristocracy, fly- ing into a furious passion: “how daro you tell me you are not drunk? Why, curse you, you can hardly stand.” It was his lordship, how- ever, who staggered. —“T jam sober, my lord,” reponded Leonard, still keeping his temper: “and pray permit mo to inform your lordship that I once was 4 gentleman, and that your lordship might have a little more consideration for a person so un- fortunately cireumstanced as J am !”—* A gontle- man once?” repeated Lord Satinet, with an ironical laugh: “a pretty gentloman, I’ll be bonnd! Your father was a costermonger, I suppose; and your mother an apple-woman? <A gentleman, indeed !} Why, damn your eyes, you'll be telling me you Were a nobleman next. A. gentloman, by the powers! asplendid gentleman! Of the swell-mob, most likely.”"—“ Were J now as I was threo yoars and a half ago, my lord,” said Leonard, scarcely able to master his passion, “ you would not dare to address me thus.”—“Holloa! you threaton me, ch!” oricd Lord Satinet. ‘Come, sir: tramp off to the guard-room; and I'll teach you what it is to insult your officer, and be damned to you!” Peor Leonard was compelled to obey: but the mere circumstance of being forced to restrain his boiling indignation, gave him such an excited ap- pearance, that when he arrived at the guard- room the serjeant on duty immediately accused him-of having beendrinking. Leonard scorned to uttera falsehood ; and he did not therefore deny the fact: but he de- clared that: he was not inebriated—a statoment which was treated with ridicule. To bo briof, ho was kept in custody for three days, at the expi- ration of which a court-martial assembled to try him. Lord Satinet made out the caso as black as possible against the unfortunate young man, who in his defence most unwiscly but very truly averred that his lordship himself was excessively tipsy on the occasion referred to. The nobleman denied the statemont with much apparent indignation; and or LONDON, e935 had materially aggravated his own enormity by such an accusation—although the very officer who thus fulfilled the judicial functions could of himself have proved, had ho chosen, that Lord Satinet was par- ticularly disguised in liquor on the night in ques- tion, The result of that hideous mockery of a trial was that the accused was pronounced guilty of returning home lato in a condition of extremo in- toxication, and of grossly insulting and oven menacing his officer. Leonard Mitchell was ac- cordingly condemned to receivo three hundred lashes with tho cat-o’nino-tails: ho was then ree moved to tho black hole, where he passed a night scarcely enviablo even by a man about to suffer tho extreme penalty of the law. For, oh! how could he evar again look the world in the face ?—how should he dare meet his much-loved Ellen? how survive this decp disgprace—this flagrant shame— this damning infamy? But wo dare not pause to analyse the thoughts or describo tho feelings of thio wretched young man during the interval between his condemnation and tho exccution of the sen- tence, Tho fatal moment arrived when the gallant British soldier, stripped naked to the waist, was tied up to receive the torture of tho lash, in the presenco of tho entire regiment, which was marshalled for the pur- pose, Leonard’s face was ashy pale—but tho com- pressed lip, sternly-fixed oye, and determined ecx- pression of countenance indicated his resolution to meet tho horrible punishment with as much cou- rago as he could invoketo his aid. On many an eye- lash in the ranks did tho toar of sympathy—aye, of deep, deep commiseration tremble: but the officors looked on, tlhe elder ones without emotion—the younger with curiosity, but with no better fecling, As for Cornet Lord Satinet—ho could scarcely conceal his delight at the inhuman spectaclo which he himself had caused to be enacted; and ho thought what a “lion of the party” he should prove in the cvening at his father’s house, when detailing to his noble mamma and his dear sistors the parti- culars of the military flogging of the morning. But, hark! the drums beat—and the accursed tor- ture commences !—tho first blow is inflicted—and nino Jong livid marks appear upon the back of the victim, Still be winces not—and not a murmur escapes his lips. Again docs the lash fall—and of a livelicr red aro the traces it leaves behind. A third timo the instrument of torture descends~— and now bloodis drawn. Butstill the young man is silent—although his well-knit framo moves with a slight convulsiveness. A shudder—passing tbrough- out the long ranks like an electric shock, from flank to flank—denotes the horror—the profound, intenso horror, which strikes to the hearts of the brave dragoons who behold the appalling laceration of thoir comrade. And now faster falis each mur- derous weapon—for there are two executioners om- ployed at the samo time: and when they have dealt a certain number of blows, they aro relieved by others, 60 that the victim may gain nothing by the slightest weariness of arm on the part of his tor- turers. Still he maintains a profound silence: but he cannot prevent his countenance from expressing a keen sense of the mortal agony that he ondures. Down—down comes the horrible @woapon, each Stroke inflicting nine distinct blows; and, whilo tho blood streams forth in many crimson rivulets, the knotted cords carry away picces of tho palpitating ‘ (C(O) (C DOO <S LL (SO)