The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 282: what you’re looking at

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

ee THE MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. Ag tke AEE 5 Ee ed “eae safe, and that there’s no hue and cry, I will take myself off. So if you have got a loose hundred or so that you don’t know what to do with, you may give them to me. But mind—I am a good kind of fellow in my way; and so if ever: your ladyship has any business you want done, just let me know. I’m always to be heard of at the sign of the Billy Goat in Agar Town, London. That’s where I used te meet Ralph Farefield years back. A note di- rected to Mr. Chiffin—you needn’t ’squire me— under cover to Mr. Solomon Patch, will be sure to reach me; and as I’mnot likely to give up business altozether i in my present way, even though I took a public or what not, as I have been thinking of, I shall always be ready to attend to your ladyship’ s orders. I want some good customers.” A horrible thought flashed through the mind of Lady Saxondale at the moment. Her daughter Juliana, recently become the object of her direst hatred, and in possession of a secret the revelation of which would at any moment create a terrific explosion, cover her with ignominy, and bring down the whole fabric of her plans with a terrific crash,— Juliana might be removed from her path, and be- fore her was a wretch who would perform the deed! But no: Lady Saxondale could not induce her tongue to give utterance to the words which never- theless trembled upon it; and it was with a strong revulsion of feeling that she resisted the temptation and triumphed over. the. idea of this new and stu- pendous crime. “What is your ladyship Restattis for?” asked Chifin. “Was you thinking whether there isn’t some nice little business I might manage to do? If so, you needn’t be nice about it. I dare say you can pay well; and there’s nothing I wouldn’t do for money. The next time you want to get rid of any body, a flooded vault mayn’t be handy; and it would excite suspicion to have another sudden death like that of your old housekeeper. It must be a different sort of game—a knife across the throat, for instance: and as your ladyship’s delicate hand mightn’t like to do it, this here hand of mine is less partickler.” “For heaven’s sake, silence! You are heaping horrors upon horrors!” ejaculated Lady Saxondale, with an ice-cold shudder shooting through her frame: and again she succeeded in putting away the temptation to commit another crime. “ Re- main here—and I will fetch you the gold you require.” “ Well, be quick then, if you mean me to be off.” Lady Saxondale sped away from the horrible presence of the Cannibal, and stole back to her ehamber, with what feelings may be better imagined than described. Opening her writing-desk, she teok forth a number of bank-notes and a quantity of gold: but as she was about to leave the room again, she felt so sudden a sensation of sickness and faint- ness come upon her, that she staggered and almost fell. She sought the toilet-table—filled a tumbler with water—and as the limpid draught was poured down her throut, it seemed to hiss as if passing over red-hot iron, so parched was that throat of hers! Refreshed however with the beverage, she gathered up the notes and gold in one hand, took the lamp in the other, and retraced her way to the chapel, in the vestiary of which she had left the rulfian intruder. tied —_— — ee’ —_—_—_———_ — - - - 267 “ Here,” she said, “take this—and for heaven’s sake be gone. If youare found within these walls I could do nothing to save you from being handed over to the grasp of justice.” “Well, you behave handsome enough, and I won’t bother you by staying here :’”—but as Chiffin spoke these words, he thought to himself that from that time forth Lady Saxondale should prove the source of a handsome annuity for him. “ Now, which way do you mean me to leave the castle P” ** Doubtless,’ answered the lady impatiently, you are better able to decide that point than L.” “Leave it to me, then. One of them windowe overlooking the river is the best plan : for I suppose you don’t want me to follow your ladyship all through the inhabited part of the castle down to the front gate ?” “ Not for worlds!” cried Lady Saxondale. Chiffin bade her lead the way with the lamp; and quitting the chapel, they entered the nearest tapes- tried room. From one of the windows in this apartment the Cannibal lowered himself by the aid of a tree, the trunk of which grew out of the bed of the river itself, and whose enormous branches reached up tothe casement whence he now departed. * Don’t forget the Billy Goat in Agar Town,” whispered Chiffin, as he paused for a moment on the bough to which he had just passed forth. “No, no,” was Lady Saxondale’s hurried response. “ Away, away with you!” “All right,’ responded the Cannibal. “ Your ladyship needn’t wait any longer :”—and he began to climb down the tree. Lady Saxondale closed the window, and hastened back to her own apartment. There she sat down in a kind of bewilderment, scarcely knowing whether all that had just passed was a reality or a dream: but gradually as her ideas became collected, her thoughts disentangling themselves from the confu- sion into which they had been thrown, she shuddered with indescribable horror at the quick retrospection which she cast over her interview with Chiffin. Good heavens! how completely was she in that mis- creant’s power! With a breath he could destroy her. ‘These were her first and most natural reflec. tions: but as she became still more tranquillized, her view of the subject changed; and gathering courage, she said to herself, “No! Coward, idiot that I was—I should have dared him! Who would believe any accusation from such foul lips as his against Lady Saxondale? The conduct of my whole ‘life, as the world has read it, would give a denial to his averments and stamp them as the most odious ealumnies. No: I am noé in his power: it is ridi- culous—it is absurd! And yet [ am not sorry, after all,” she continued in her musings, “ teiat this meet- ing has taken place. It is as well to know where such a ready instrument of crime as that man is, may be found. Who ean tell how soon I may need his succour? Dangers are gathering around me: I feel that it is so. I feel also that L must either suc- cumb, or*else with one bold stroke sweep from my path all who can interfere with my views, coerce, or intimidate me. Yes: it is as well to have learnt where that man is to be found. It is likewise as well to have assured myself that no phantom from ‘the dead haunts the chapel, but that it was a living being of flesh and blood. But, Oh! what a being— what & monster!” ——._< -——- e e- C =n oe 1 ————————————————eEeEee—eeEeEeEeEeEeEeEeEeEeEEEEEEEeEeeEEeEeEeEeEeee——e——e———ee—ee—eEeEe—————e—eEeE—eE—ee—— a ee ee MICLOOKS (C (CO) (CO)