The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 248: what you’re looking at

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| THE MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. 235 verge of the pavement at the debtors door. The carpenters then proceeded to fix the ladder and erect the huge beams of the gibbet,—all their ope- rations being viewed with intense curiosity and deep interest by the multitude that was swelling in bulk aud volume every moment. From an early hour a black fellow, roughly dressed and carrying a huge club in his hand, had been lurking near the debtor’s door: and when the barrier was put up, be elbowed hie way to a place as near that door as possible. There he re- mained fixed like a statue—leaning with his arms upon the barrier, and neither addressing a word toa suul nor appearing to pay any attention to the dis- course Was going on in his hearing. It was seven o’clock in the morning before Dy- sart awoke from hie slumber: and he would per- haps have slept on, had not the entrance of the chaplain disturbed him. He inquired the hour, and on being informed, waa asténished to hear that it was so late. ** You have slept well?” said the chaplain. “ Never better in my life,” réaponded the criminal, gaily. “ I will now get up.” “ And in ten minutes I will return,” said the chaplain. The reverend gentleman then quitted the cell— and Dysart proceeded to wash and dresa himself with as much unconcern as he had displayed when eating his supper over night. On the return of the chaplain, he asked if the sheriff had yet arrived; but the response wasin the negative. The Ordinary then hinted that it would be proper for them to join in prayer: but Dysart exclaimed, “ You don’t think, sir, that it is at all necessary just now—do you ?” “ Prayer is always seasonable and of much avail,” was the chaplain’s response. “But you feel convinced that I shail be re- prieved 2?” said Dysart, with some little manifesta- tion of uneasiness, or rather perhaps of impatience. “ The governor has assured me that such will be the case,” answered the Ordinary, “and I believe him to be far too cautious a man to venture sach a statement unless on good authority.” * When the sheriff comes I can ask him,” ob- served Dysart. “ My good friend, that will be a breach of con- fidence,” said the chaplain, in a tone of remonetrance, -— and would probably lead to the lose of our situ- tions for both the governor and myself.” “True! I had forgotten that!” exclaimed Dy- sart. “ Will you beso kind as to ask the governor to come to me ?’’ “ Certainly,” replied the chaplain: and he once _ more quitted the ceil. | | When left alone, Dysart walked backward and forward with a restlessness that he had not before experienced. He endeavoured to shake off the feeling—but it was rapidly growing upon him. Horrible thoughts began to spring up in his mind. What if the Prince should have been playing him false all along—or alter his resolve at the last mo- ment f—whatif Ernestina had been deceiving him f —or suppose that every intention and every assur- ance had been sincere in those quarters, might not the reprieve come too late? These theughts were dgeadful. The unbappy man, hitherto lulled into complete security, had now suddenly awakened as it were to a galling, goading, aganizing sense of the tremendous fact that his life hung to a thread! He would have screamed ont,—he could have yelled with mortal anguish : but at the instant the parox- ysm reached its crisis, the chaplain returned to the cell, followed by the governor. The expression of the two fanctionaries’ coun- tenances instantaneously relieved Dysart’s awful terrors. The effect was the samo as the sudden pouring of oi) upon the raging billows: and even before a word was spoken, he felt’ angry with him- self for having yielded to the influence of such agonising alarm. “Good morning, Mr. Dysart,” said the governor, taking him by the hand: then, in a lower voice he added, “A sealed packet from the Home Office, directed to the sheriff, has just arrived. But for heaven's sake do not appear to know this fact: it is as much as my place is worth to have told you.” * Not on any consideration would I injure you, my dear sir,” answered Dysart, joyfally pressing the governor's hand, “after all your kindness to me, But is the sheriff come ?—has he opened the packet ?—doés it contain the reprieve ”” “Tt cannot possibly be anything else,” returned the governor. “The sheriff will not be here till @ quarter to cight—nor will he open the packet in my presence. I dare not even ask him what it contains: but I have not the slightest—no, not the slightest doubt-————” “ What o’clock is it now” demanded the crimi- nal, hurriedly. “Half-past seven. Will you take some break- fast? Indeed, you must appear as if you antici- pated the very worst,” said the governor, with marked emphasis. “Since I have nothing to apprehend, I can as- sume an air which shall pass for firmness,” replied Dysart. “Yes—iet me have some breakfast: it will warm me.” Leaving the interior of the prison fer a few mo- ments, we will again glance to the aspect of the scene outside. The morning was dull and gloomy. aud soon after the break of day, a fine mizzling rain had begun to fall. The crowd was immense. To the farther extremity of the Old Bailey in the one direction, and to the very verge of Smithfield market on the other, it was a complete ocean of human faces. Men and women—numbers of the latter with young children in their arms,—boys and girls, even of a tender age,—all were packed as densely as the aggregation of such a mass of life could possibly become. Every window and house-top commanding a view of the gaor’s front and the looming gallows, had been put into requi- sition by the anxious spectators. Precisely oppo- site the gibbet, a first-floor apartment was tenanted for the nonce by the aristocrats who had passed the night at the Saracen’s Head ;—-and having well breakfasted off devilled kidneys, coffee, and aw toast, these worthies found themselves in an ex- — eellent hamour to exjoy the drama about to be enacted. At a quarter to eight one of the sheriffs, the two under-sheriffs, and a couple of aldermen arrived at the gaol. They were immediately ushered into the governor's drawing-room; and the sealed packet from the Home Office was de- — livered to the sheriff. He at once retired into a private room to open it: and having perused the conteats, which were laconic enouzh, he carefully GOnMGoOO SS CO