The Mysteries of London, Vol. IV — page 307: what you’re looking at

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oe cameo. her turn.—“ Yes: Ishould be assuredly condemned to that {gnominy—that torture,” replied Mitchell. ‘My conduct has for some time been s0 unsteady, and I havo been sooften reported ‘ late,’ that this time nothing could save me from the cat. I have de- termined not to return to tlie barracks,” he added, doggedly.—" But what will you do?” again asked Ellen —‘*I know not,” he responded gloomily. ‘Unless I can find some secure place wherein to hide for a few days, until I may escape from tho country, I cannot tell what will become of mec,”— “And must you quit tho country?” demanded Ellen.—* Would you have mo taken up as a de- serter ?” asked Leonard bitterly. ‘My punishment in that case would be worse than if I were now to go back and submit to the result of a court-martial on charges of irregularity, drunkenness, and lato hours.”—- Not for worlds would I have you return under present circumstances,” cried Ellen, in an impassioned tone: “ much less have you crentually incur tho danger of being arrested as a deserter. Leonard,” she added, after a few moments’ pause, “if you leave the country, I will go with you.”—“I thought that you would not abandon me,” exclaimed tho dragoon, pressing herelosor to him. Thon he whispered something in her ears; and they con- versed in a very low tone for soveral minutes. At length Ellen yiolded to the plan which her lover had suggested, but which had at first scemed fraught with difficulties,—“ Yos,” sho said; ‘‘ thore is no alternative—I must conceal you at my house. And when I reflect, the two servants are dovoted to me: you may suppose that I havo all along bribed them heavily in order to induce them to wink at my irre- gularitios; and if they refused to become Mr, Gamble’s spies in those times when he was in full possession of his intellects, they will not betray mo now that he is half childish and docs not question them concerning me any more. Yos: it must be so;—thore is no choice left. Como at once: I pos- sess tho latch-key, and can admit you without even disturbing tho servants. It will be sufficient to make confidants of thom to-morrow.” The reader may now understand that Ellen was about to consummate her imprudence by taking her paramour beneath her husband’s roof. When the first moments of dissolving softness and better feelings had passed away in respect to Leonard, his selfishness again asserted its empire; and, whilo determining to desert, he at the same timo bethought himself how he could still make Ellen’s pecuniary means available for his own purpose. His object was therefore to gain admittance into the house—to ascortain the preciso nature of her resources and find eut the amount of valuables she could dispose of—and then induce her to elope with him, having previously plundered her husband and his dwelling of everything worth carrying off. We have seen how far his diabolical and hastily formed scheme succeeded. Two points were already gained: she would admit him into the house—and sho had promiscd to accompany him to another country. Tho robbery, he felt assured, he should bo enabled to reason her into: if not, menaces sould be offectually employed, no doubt. Such was tho design which the once upright and honour- ablo Leonard Mitchell now had in view; and ho chuckled inwardly at the scheme, as he walked arm-in-arm with Ellon towards Stamford Street, In ten minutes they reached Mr. Gamble’s house: fllen opened the stroct-door by means of the latch- eee a ge re gg I AL 302 TUL MYSTERIES OF LCNDON, ee ee eee a key which she had about her;—and tho-drazoen passed, unobserved and noiselessly, to her bed- room-—for during the past eighteen months she | and her husband had occupied separate chambers. Tho remainder-of that night glided away: in tho morning Ellen admitted the two domestics to her confidence; and as she at the same timo slipped a heavy bribe into their hands, they willingly promised devotion to her interests. The day passed heavily enough for the dragoon, who was accustomed to exercise and bustle, and wko could not enduro the idea of being pont up within the narrow limits of a bed-room. He accordingly determined to put tho remainder of his schome into execution without delay; and ho rejoiced when night once moro spread its sablo wing over this hemisphere. It was eleven o'clock: Mr.Gamble had long be- fore retired to rest—the servants had likowiso sought their chambor;—and Loonard was seated at table with Ellen in the bedroom of tho latter. A succulent supper and rich wines wero placed before them: the curtains wero drawn carefully over the windows and a lamp diffused a mellow lustre throughout the apartment. Having eaten as much as he cared for, Leonard filled a tumbler with sherry, which he drank at a draught to inspire him with courago for tho part which ho had now to’ play—for, by fair or foul means, was he resolved to succeed. “ Ellen,” said he, after a pause, wo must quit the house to- night.”—“ To-night !” sho exclaimed, in astonish- ment: “wherefore this hurry?”?— In tho first place,” he replicd, “because I cannot bear confine- mont here; and secondly, because it may as woll be done now as a week or a month hence.”—* Let us postpone our doparture until to-morrow night,” said Ellon, imploringly.- “ Why so ?’—“ Because J have not scen my father for many days,” sho an- swered; “he has been so much engaged in tho City; and I should wish to bid him farewell for over, if only mentally.’— This is childish !’’ ejaculated Leonard impatiently. ‘I thought you had lost all respect for your fathor?”—“ Oh! but I cannot for- get that he is my father,” responded Ellon, tho tears trickling down her cheeks: ‘and now that I havo made up my mind to leave England for over, I would embrace him once more.”—“ Then I must depart without you,” said Leonard, rising from his chair.— “Oh! this is unkind to a degroe!” urged Ellen bitterly. “Surely you can allow me four-and-twenty hours for tho necessary preparations ?”—“ Our pre- parations can be made in an hour,” said Leonard ob- stinately: then, reseating himself, he drank off an. othor tumblerful of wine. ‘Listen tome. What pre- parations have you to make, save to possess yourself of all tho money, plate, jewels, and other valuables you can lay your hands upon?’—Ellen stared at her lover with the fixed gaze of mingled asto- nishment and horror.—* Well, what js the matter with you?” ho demanded.— Leonard, you are not in earnest 2?” she said at length: “ yon would not have merobmy husband of his plate?”—“ Certainly,” replied the rufRan: “and of his watch, and every, thing of valuo that is portable in the house. Wo must not go away empty-handed, I can tell you.”— ‘Ts it possible that you would counsel me to do this?” asked Ellen, speaking in a low and agitated voice. “ Leonard, I have never hesitated to supply you with moncy, becauso that is an article which I believe to exist in common between a husband and wife. Moreover, the houschold has suffered in uv way by the appropriation of those sums to your EConnicloooks - ' (CO)