The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 288: what you’re looking at

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

254 THE COURT OF LONDON Mrs. Brace opened the cupboard and speedily mixed a tumbler of sherry and cold water, which she handed to the constable. She then returned to the cupboard, where she remained for nearly a minute; and, on accosting Grumley again, she held in her hand a small glass filled with noyau, the almond flavour of which was diffused through the chamber. “How beautiful that smells!’ exclaimed Mr. Grumley, placing upon a table the tumbler which he had drained and receiving the liqueur-glass from the milliner’s plump white hand. ‘““Noyau always has the perfume of almonds,”’ she ob- served; and her lips, which were now ashy white, quivered slightly. “Your health, my love,’ said the constable, raising his eyes and the glass at the same time. : ‘“‘T am your slave for this night, according to agreement,’ returned the milliner, taking off her coquettish French cap. ‘You look handsomer than ever,” exclaimed the con- stable. ‘‘ Once more, my love, here’s to your health.” And Peter Grumley tossed the noyau down his capacious throat. But during the instant that elapsed while his countenance was thus upturned and the glass was at his lips, he caught a glimpse of the features of Mrs. Brace, and it struck him that an expression of fiendish malignity and diabolical tri- umph had suddenly sprung up thereon. This thought was as rapid as the lightning is vivid; and it was the last which ever flashed through the brain of the Bow Street officer. For even as the liqueur was gliding with its luscious smoothness and oily richness down his throat, the glass fell from his hand, a strong spasm shot through his whole frame, and life was already extinct as he toppled for a moment on his chair ere he rolled a heavy corpse upon the carpet. For nearly a minute did Mrs. Brace stand gazing upon the body of that man whom she had thus sacrificed to her feel- ings of abhorrence in respect to the present and of terror with regard to the future; for it was not so much to escape his loathsome embraces of this night that she had murdered him, as to save herself from becoming his victim at every COnmmicooolks (CO)