The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 177: what you’re looking at

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166 Next the cord was found; and the natural con- clusion was that it formed another link in the clue which the officers had obtained to the track taken by the Burker. * You see,” said the Inspector, “there was that fiat-roofed building betwixt the cella and those yards down below, which prevented the scoundrel from getting into them at once: so he had to climb first of all up to the roofs of these houses here, and then let himself down by this cord into the yard below. But it is no use our remaining here to chatter. Down the ladders again! over all those walls! and we may catch him yet !” The dedcent was quickly made. One of the constables, speeding back to the police-court, gave ordere for several officers to institute a special watch in Hart Street, which was the quarter where it was supposed the Burker would ondea- vour to find a means of making his exit. The In- spector, and the constables who remained with him, proceeded to examino all the premises in the rear of Covent Garden Theatre, with the hope of finding some fresh trace of the prisoner—but we need hardly say without any result. We did not interrupt the thread of those ex- planations to state, ae we must now do, that the occupants of the highest rooms of the houses to the roofs of which the constables ascended, were considerably alarmcd—many indeed being startled from their slumber, by the heavy trampling of feet overhead as well as by the sounds of vuices. At first there was an idea of fire; and atti-. windows were thrown open in consternation and dismay: but the constables speedily reassured the frightened ones and made them acquainted with the reason of so much disturbance. Amongst the terrified persons to whom we have just alluded, were the landlady and the servant of the house in which Mr. Bealby dwelt: but on receiving the in- telligence that there was no alarm of fire, and that the constables were merely in pursuit of a prisoner who had escaped, they retired to their respective couches again. We may add that the drawing- room storey of that house—namely, the floor just under Mr. Bealby’s apartments —was unoccupied at the time: the ground-floor consisted of offices where no’ person remained at night; and thus, besides the landlady and her servant, there was nobody within the walls of the dwelling to be dis- turbed by the proceedings of the police. It was now certain that the whole neighbour- hood was closely watched by constables; and it was therefore impossible for the Burker to attempt an eecape. It became absolutely necessary for him to remain in Bealby’s apartments till the morning —when the idea which the archsulogical gentle. man had already formed to effect bis safe iasue, might be carried out. Mr. Limber was anxivus to get away and seek hie bed in an attic which he occupied in some neighbourhood a couple of miles off: but Bealby would not let him depart. “Deuce a bit, Ben!” he said, in a hurried whisper to his friend: “you and I must remain together until this fellow is safe out of the house. Though Tam not afraid of him as long as I am awake, [ don’t choose to atand the chance of falling off to sleep if left alone with him. We will drink and snoke till morning, Ben.” Mr. Beaiby had found the opportunity of whis- pering these few hasty words while the Burker was THE MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. paying his respects toa half.quartern loaf and one- third of a Dutch cheese which had boen eet before him ; and as many hours had elapsed since food passed his lips, it was with a terrific appetite that he now consumed the only fare which the archas- logical gentleman’s larder (or rather cupboard) affurded. é “ Now,” said Bealby, when Barnes had finished his meal and had washed it down with a copious draught of gin-and-water, “ you can step into that back room, stretch yourself on the sofa, and take a good nap. My friend and I purpose to att up for the rest of the night. There is every reason to telieve that you are safe; and in the morning we will carry out the idea which I just now de. scribed.” Tha Burker, who had now every possible reason to put implicit faith in Mr. Baalby and Ben Lim- ber, withdrew to the sofa —or rather the old sofa. bedstead to which he was directed in the adjoining room : while tho two friends sate drinking aad smoking in the front apartment. CHAPTER CXVIL THE MUMMY’S CASR. Ir was about seven o’clock when the Burker awoke from a deep uninterrupted slumber of eoveral hours; end he found his host and Ben Limber perfurminog their ablutions in the dressing-room. These two individuals neither felt nor looked any the better for having sat up driaking and emokiog the entire night: but the contact of cold watar refreshed them sumewhat. The hour was ap- proaching when the eervant-girl of the house would enter to spread Mr. Boalby'’s breakfast table; and he could not possibly devise any ex- cuse to prevent her from thus comiog in—or at least it was deemed advisable to avoid everything that might tend to excite suspicion. “ The girl may take it into her head to do out the dressing-room while we are getting breakfast,” said Bealby ; “ or to sweep out the inner room— or a dozen different things. We must dispose of you, somehow or another,” he added, turning to- wards the Burker. “Any way you like, so as you doesn’t give me over to the police, or manage matters so bad that you get me took again.” “Don’t be afraid,” anewered Bealby. “ Here, get some food at once —eat aud dtink. Now, Ben, vou just stroll out as if to look at the flowers in Cuvent Garden Market before breakfast ; you can hear what is being said about last night’s business —you can buy a newspaper tuo; aad if you come back in about ten minutes, our breakfast will be ready, and I shall have disposed of the Burker by come means or another.” “All right,” responded Ben Limber: and he issued from the apartment. “Now you know the idea which I explained last night,” said Bealby, addresing himeelf to the Burker, who was aevouriog bread and cheese. “About that queer-looking object which ecoms like a man that bad been cried with the san until he turned into leatncr? Well,” added the LOOOLK (CO