The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 64: what you’re looking at

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

Thus speaking, she took the bundle in one hand and the candle in the other, and led the way up the ricketty ladder-like staireasé to the storey above. There she introduced Lord Saxondale into a room the wretched appearance of which contrasted strangely with the splerididly furnished chamber to which he was acewstomed at home. Still was it evident that all attempts had been made to ren- der it as habitable as possible. A quahtity of hay, having « very fragrant odour, had been thickly spread upon the floor; and on this the mattrass was placed. It was quite new, as were also the sheets and blankets. Nevertheless Lord Saxondale made a somewhat wry face as he inspected these accom- modations; and he was about to remark that although they weald do for one night, yet he could not put up with them for a longer period,—when ff strack him that he had better not risk the chance of offending a woman who not only seemed to enter heart and soul into Kis projects, bat who had like- wise done the best she could to make him comfort- able. Suppressing therefore any display of ill- humoar, he allowed his features to brighten up, and even laughed as he exclaimed, “Only think of the descendants of a family dating its origin back to the time of the Ladors, pl headlong into such an adventure as this!” “ The littte hardships which you thas endure, my Jord,” replied the woman, “should be considored as adding to the romance of the whole adventure.” “True!” cried Saxondile: “that is at least a consolation. And now open the parcel and put out my rough garments in réhdtnees for me to assumé in the morning.” ; The woman accordingly placed the mechanio’s garb upon a chair near the humble bed, arid leaving the candle on the washing-stand, bade her guest “good night.” As soon as she had left the room, Saxondale disapparelled himself and lay down to rest. Being much iéd, he did not find the bed altogether so uncomfortable as he had anticipated ; and while in the midst of imagination’s revels re- specting the transcendant beauties of Angela Vivaldi, he soon sank off into s profound sleep. It was about midnight when the woman, who had not yet retired to rest, put‘on her old ragged cloak, and drawing the hood over her head, stole very gently forth from the hut. Traversing the field, she looked about her as she neared the hedge that formed its boundary; and in a few: momenta, from the dark shade thereof the form of & man emerged into the clear starlight. “Well, Madge, is it all right?” said Chiffin the Cannibal: for he the individfial was. “All right,” she answered. “The young fellow is fast asleep. Istole up to the door of his room ten minutes back, and could hear by his measured respiration that he was in a deep alumber.” “And what about the booty?” demanded Chiffin. “Is the game worth all this trouble?” “ Shall you be content with a hundred pounds or so, for your share?” inquired fhe woman, as she re- erossed the field, accompanied by the Cannibal, in “TI believe you, old gal. But have you made ware P” “TI told you last night at the Billy Goat,” re- sponded Madge Somers, “that the jewellery he wears about his person is worth a good fifty pounds, even in the way that we shall have to sell it. Solo- mon Patch will give that sum: for to buy it'in the shops it would cost three times as much. There’s ° his watch and chain, diamond studs, and three beautiful rings on his fingers. Then his purse is well lined, I know; for I d to make him pull it out, so that I might judge of its contents, There’s a fot of gold in one end, and ever so many bank-notes in the other. I caught a glimpse of a fifty a a twenty; and there are others besides, thé amount of which I could not catch at a glance.” “Well, this looks promising,” remarked the Can- nibal, grasping bis club with a firmer gripe. “I’ve got all my tools about me,” he added with a diabolic leer,—“ pistols, clasp-knife, and so on. But what: about the shovel to dig the grave?” “T have.not forgotten it,” responded Madge: “it is there, at the hut. I procured it along with the other things in town this morning. And I'll tell you, moreover, what I have done——I have made his bed upon a thick layer of hay——” “T understand,” exclaimed Chiffin: “to save the floor from the blood when we draw a knife across his throat or stick a dagger into hin—eh? Well, it’s a good precaution: there’s nothing so dangerous as blood-marks—for I've heard say they can’t be washed out. But have you ascertained who the young spark is?” “Buppose he fs a lord—should you flinch?” asked the woman. “¥tinch!” repeated the Cannibal, with savage contempt: “why should [P What the deuce is a lord to me?” “To be sure—what mndeed?”’ said the woman. “Well then, this young blade is Lord Saxondale.” “ Lord Saxondale!” exclaimed Chiffin in astonish- ment. “Yes,” answered the woman, struck by her com- panion’s manner, which she was evidently at a loss _ tocomprehend. “Do you know anything of him? —why did you seem eo surprised at the mention of his namo ?” “Only because 1 once had something to do in connexion with that there family,” replied ¢ . iffin. “But that was nineteen or twenty yearsage and then my services was engaged by a chap named Farefield. Hlowever, all that’s gone and donc; and if there’s money to be got here to-night, I don’t care what the young fellow’s name is.” By the time this colloquy was ended, Somers and the Cannibal had reached the door of jthe cottage; and the woman gently lifting the latch, passed into the place, followed by her male companion. She then shut the door again with equal caution, while the Cannibal, who seemed per- fectly familiar with the habitation, at once entered the ground-floor room, where the food, wine, and spirits still remained upon the table. The night air had sharpened his appetite; and without a moment's hesitation he sat down and began making a hearty’ meal, not forgetting to pay his respects to the brandy-bottle, wine being no favourite beverage with him. He did not take above ten minutes thus to satisfy his appetite, which the idea of the horrible crime he had come thither to perpetrate by no means marred, while the flery alchohol addcd if pos- sible to the ferocious ruffianism of his mood. “ Now,” said the woman, who, without taking off her cloak, had scated herself and remained perfectly comicbooks.com ——_,