The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 79: what you’re looking at

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

THE SUPPER DEVOURER 61 as the startled deer, Ernestina sprang from her knees, swept toward the mantel, and seized the bell-rope. — But at that very instant the Hangman turned and grasped her wrist with such fearful violence that she shrieked out with the pain. Another second, and he would have been too late to prevent her from making the bell ring. ‘“ Silence, and sit down!”’ he said, with tone and looks of an infernal ferocity. Then, having flung her, as it were, into a chair, he took the towels from the wash-hand-stand and bound her in such a way that she could not rise from the seat. Ernestina struggled not, and spoke not a word. A fear- ful terror was upon her. She saw that the man was half- maddened, and capable of any deed of violence, even murder itself; and polluted, degraded, lost even in her own estima- tion as she was, yet when thus at any moment her death- blow might be dealt, the instinctive clingings to life asserted their power. ‘“ Now you will stay there as long as I like,’ said the Hangman, speaking with a hyena-like ferocity. ‘ But if you make any noise, this will soon silence you!”’ and as he spoke he drew forth his sharp clasp-knife, the blade of which had a horrible ghastly appearance that caused the blood to stagnate throughout the unhappy woman’s entire being. : Daniel Coffin now sat down at the table, and began to eat and drink with the avidity of a wild beast. The maid servant had placed several dishes upon the tray, in order to tempt Lady Ernestina’s appetite, — cold chicken, tongue, pigeon-pie, and jellies, together with sherry and port wine. As a supper there would have been sufficient for six or eight persons, but almost incredible was the inroad which Daniel Coffin made upon the viands. Dish after dish did he attack with the ravenous appetite of one who had been starving for whole days. The cold fowl was picked to the very bones, and even some of these did he crunch and swallow during the devouring process. Of the tongue, which was nearly entire when he thrust his fork into it, did he leave but a few pieces of the fat and tough portions of the root; and as for the pigeon-pie, it disappeared with a proportionate rapidity. This tremendous supper he washed down with the wine, which he drank out of a tumbler, just as if it were mere (C(O) nn) GDoOo So! inn