The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 176: what you’re looking at

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THE MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. 165 the Burker; “but hope no offence. Here’s the door, sir:”—and he opened it to afford egress to Mr. Benjamin Limber. “ Now drink,” said Bealby, ‘and refresh your- self while I go down stairs and seo if there's any hot water in the boiler. I know there generally is.” Mr. Barnes sate down and helped himself to some more spirite,—at the same time saying to himself, “ Well, blow me if all this isn’t a rum tissue of adwentures: but luck seems to be a-favouring of me—and I ‘spose I shall get safe and sound through ’em.” In about a couple of minutes Bealby reappeared, with a pitcher of warm water; and he then con- ducted the Burker into a little dressing-room opening from the inner apartment. The criminal soon disencumbered himself of the beard and the rest of the false hair that was upon his face; and he felt himself considerably refreshed. ** Now, sir, what's the next move?” he asked, as he emerged from the dressing-room. “You say you've climbed up the pipe and got to the roof of this house,” asked Bealby. ‘Do you think there are any traces——” “"Yes—the pipe’s all bended down,” responded the Burker. “Then take off that old black gaberdine and give it tome,” said Bealby quickly. The Burker, perceiving that his new friend had all his wits about him, unhesitatingly complied with his demand. Bealby took from amongst his mis- eellaneous stores a quantity of very old but very strong silken cord; and throwing the Burker’s gaberdine over his arm, he crept up-stairs, having previously taken off his shoes so that he might proceed thus stealthily and avoid disturbing the landlady and her servant. He passed out of the attic window ; and peeping over the parapet, looked to see whether all was quiet in the neighbourhood of the cells attached to the police-office. Satisfied on this point, Mr. Bealby crept on to the leads of the next house, and deposited the gaberdine there. He then tied one end of the silken cord round a chimney, and flung the rest over the back part of the house, so that it hung down into the yard attached thereto. Having done this—which was all the work of but three or four minutes—he re- traced his stealthy way to his own apartments. There he explained to the Burker what he had done,—adding, “ And now I think the police, when they discover your escape, will be thrown com- pletely off the scent.” “Well, blow me,” said the Burker, “if arter myself you ain’$ one of the cleverest chaps in the whole world! But what’s the next move ?” “Ah! now we must hold a consultation,” re- sponded Bealby; “and we have leisure to do so. The trick I have just played will afford it us; because whenever the hounds pursue, the scent is broken—or I ought to say, turned into the wrong ehannel. It will never be suspected you are here. You see I am doing everything I can to make things right for you: and these bank-notes,” added Bealby, now taking them up from the table, “ are well earned.” “So they be,” said the Burker. “ You're an ex- eellent sort of chap ; and there’s another ten pun’ note to add to t’others:” then as he produced the dditional recompense, he thought to himeelf, * It don’t matter how much I pay to make things square and get myself off : my werry partikler and intimate friend the Duke of Marchmont must dub up for it all.” “ I was just thinking,” eaid Bealby, “ whether I could not give you some such disguise that you might be able to get out of the house at once—— But here’s Ben Limber returning |” Mr. Limber had taken the latch-key with him ; and he was therefore enabled to let himself in. He quickly made his appearance in the room ; and his countenance indicated that he had intelligence of importance to communicate. “ The shindy’s began,” he hastily said the in- stant he had closed the door ef the apartment. “ There’s a running to and fro betwixt the police- office and the station’; and I heard one of the cone stables say in consternation ‘ He has escaped !'” “Then it is out of the question,” said Bealby, addressing himeelf to the Burker, “for you to think of leaving this house to- night. There will be a strict watch througbout the entire neighbour- hood —— * But how shall I be better.off to-morrow,” de- manded Barney, “than I am to-night ?” “Tt is very certain you will not be woree off,” rejoined Bealby; “and it will be very strange if we cannot think of some contrivance for your escape. Won't it be strange, Ben P” “I should rather think it would,” ejaculated Mr. Limber. “And yet I don’t very well see how——”’ “Well, I see everything!” cried Bealby as an idea strack him: but what this idea was, we need not immediately explain:—it will transpire pre- sently. Meanwhile the escape of the Burker had been discovered: Ben Limber’s information in this re- spect was perfectly accurate. A constable had visited the cell,—firat of all, however, only opening the little trap-door, and throwing the light of his bull’s-eye inside. But his astonishment and con- sternation, on perceiving that the prisonor had vanished, may be more easily imagined than de- ecribed. To raise an alarm was his first proceed- ing: then, on being joined by two or three other conatables, he opened the door of the cell, and the truth became apparent: the mode of the Burker’s escape was at once evident. Tho Inspector was speedily fetched from the station on the opposite side of the street; and a search throughout the neighbourhood was ordered. Constables were de- spatched in every direction, while the Inspector, with some of the most intelligent of his acolytes, lost n> time in surveying the premises in the neighbourhood of the cells. Ladders were pro- cured: they aseended to the roofs of the adjacent houses—the bent pipe was observed—and though the officers could scarcely perauade themselves that they had thus discovered the track taken by the Burker, yet thoy failed not to act upon the sugges- tion which it might seem to afford. By means cf the Iadders they quickly reached the top of tho house to which that bent pipe led up, and beneath the roof of which the Burker was actually at that very moment concealed. But it wason the roof of the adjacent house that the old Jewish gaberdine was discovered ; and then the Inspector exclaimed, “ By heaven | after all the fellow did climb up that pipe!” LOOOLK (CO