The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 26: what you’re looking at

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THE MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. 13 “ Like mad, as she assuredly is!’ rejoined the sexton. “I was only half through the story—she got much excited—said she would come back another day—and hurried off precipitately.” “I thought you meant to persuade her to get out of the perieh al »” observed : Barnes, “as you wouldn’t have no wagrants and wagga- bone mendicants here ?” “A vagrant she may be, poor creature!” said Jonathan, in a compassionating tone—“ and a vagabond too for that matter; for the terms merely mean = wanderer without a settled home : but e mendicant she is not. She has plenty of money——” ° “Plenty of money, eh?” said the Burker. “ Where the deuce could she get it from ?” “That she did not tell me,” answered Jona- than : “ but she threw me a—a—sixpence—telling me to drink her health; and so you and I will have a drop of beer presently, when we have finished our morning’s work.” “It must have been « sixpence in halfpence thongh,” thought the Burker to himeelf; “for I saw you stoop several times, old feller, to pick the coins up ; and Ill be bound it was a handful of silver—or else bow should: you know she had plenty of money ?”—bat Barnes only thus mused inwardly, and did not give audible expression to his thoughts; for he was particularly careful not to excite in any way the suspicions of the sexton. “Yes,” continued Jonathan, perfectly unoon- scious of what was passing in the mind of his assistant, “she has got a pocket well-filled with coin; and now I bethink me, she said I was to drink the health of Crazy Jane.” “What a rura name to call herself by !” ob- served Barney : but as he averted his countenance for an instant, its expression was ghastly—for the mention of that name had dissipated whatsoever little doubt there was in his mind, and had con- firmed all his worst fears. “And so she’s coming back again—is she P”’ he inquired. “ She says so—and I have no doubt she will,” responded the sexton. “She has got something into her head abouf the poor lady that lies buried there; and I know enough of these crazy people to be aware that when once they do get hold of a particular crotchet, they always stick to it. She is os certain to come back as that you and I are “Poor creature?” said the Burker, affecting a tone of sympathy, although at the.same instant he resolved upon the destruction of either the sexton or crazy Jane—and perhaps of both. “Though you are such a_ strange-looking fellow,” said old Carnabie, “ you have got a good heart—that is quite clear. One must not always go by the looks.” “I should rayther think not!” ejaculated the Barker, as he walked on by the sexton’s side. The two men proceeded to the accomplishment of the work they bad in hand: but all the while the Burker was employed in digging a grave for some recently deceased villager, he was deliberating with himself upon the mode of executing the hideous purpose he now entertained. The toil con- tinued till mid-day—at which hour Jonathan re- turned to his cottage ; while the Burker proceeded to the public-house to fetch as much beer as might be purchased with the sixpence which Jonathan gave him, and which he represented as the extent of Crasy Jane's gratuity. After dinner the old sexton had some business to transact in the village ; and the Burker’s time was now at his own dis- posal. He repaired to the church-yard, so that in case Jonathan should return earlier than he had intimated, be might at once be found ;—and lighting his pipe, he threw himself on the grasa in the shade of,a high tombstone; for the day was exceedingly sultry, and the sunbeams poured down with all their unclouded torrid strength. Fiing- ing off hie hat, the Burker covered his head with an old cotton handkerchief, and thus made him. self as comfortable as possible, while enjoying his pipe and giving way to hie refleetions. It will be n to observe that since the Burker had been in Jonathan Carnabie’s service, he had occupied a little outhouse—or we might rather say a shed, attached to the sexton’s cottage, and in which a truckle-bedstead had been placed for his accommodation. Mr. Barnes was soon in a condition to judge by Jonathan’s habits that he was economical and saving: and be more’ than suspected that the old man had a little hoard in his cottage. Already had the idea flitted across his brain that if he could acquire a positive cer- tainty on the point, he would help himself to the treasure—for treasure it would prove to him, no matter how small the améunt,—and he might then betake himself to another district, or else get out of the country altogether. Now therefore that the Burker’s alarm was excited in respect to the ap- pearance of Crasy Jane in the neighbourhood of the village of Woodbridge, he was resolved to achieve that crime of which he had hitherto but vaguely and dimly thought. But if he could also possess himself of Crazy Jane’s money, it would be an addition to the store he anticipated to derive from the other quarter; and the Burker was not a man to stick at a couple of crimes—no, nor a dosen either—if he could only thereby improve his pre- sent depressed condition. While thus reflecting, and utterly unsuspicious of the possibility of being overheard, Barney be- gan to give audible ion to his thoughts. “Yes,” he said, while leisurely smoking his pipe, “Woodbridge is getting a precious sight too hot to hold such a popular gen’leman as myself; and I must take my precious carcase off to another part of the world. That old scoundrel Carnabie is warm--I know he is; .and I'll ferret out his hoard before I am a night older. If so be he wakes up— well then, there’s the mattock, or the spade, or the crow-bar as will deuced soon cook his goose for him. And then that accursed she-devil Crazy Jane, which sp’iled all the hash at Liverpool—I shall like to give her a topper on the head—-and by jingo, Dll do it too I” Having come to this most comforting conclusion, the Barker re-filled his pipe; and a person who had been standing behind a tombstone, glided noise- lesely away over the long grass. That person was Crazy Jane. After a few hours’ interval since her discourse with Carnabie, she had returned to the churchyard in a lucid state of mind. again, and in the hope of finding him that he might finish his narrative relative to the unknown lady who alept beneath the turf for which he had evinced so much care, unrecompensed and unrewarded, throughout ao many years. But while wandering amidst the CONIC OOO <S