The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 333: what you’re looking at

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“ $18 “They were—and very poor. My mothef died, as | { have already told you; and then my father went to Italy, where I was brought up by him until he died also.” “ And what were his circumstances in Italy ?” “Tolerably good. Indeed, he obtained a compe- tency. But again I implore you——” “Have you made any endeavour to find out the man Thompson to whom your father alluded in his last words?” “T have made inquiries, and inserted advertise- ments—but all in vain.” “Thompson f” said the woman in a musing tone. “Most probably the manager of the strolling troop to which your father belonged—and evidently ac- quainted with a secret which your father meant to reveal upon his death-bed. Now, this. Thompson shall be found out, if he is above ground. Though I wander all over England, wearing out my very life in the search, he shall be found. I will either discover the living man, or tLe grave jp which he is buried !” The woman spoke with a resolute energy and a sternness of purpose that filled Deveril with aston- ishment, as well as excited his curiosity to the most torturing degree of suspense. Who was this strange being that accident had thrown in his way ? how was it that she had taken so sudden an interest in his affairs? why should she wander about the world in search of the man Thompson? What earthly concern could she have in the affair? All these questions did Deveril put to himself, but with- out the possibility of answering them by means of any conjecture of his own. Suddenly a thought struck him. Was the whole thing a stratagem on her part to obtain money from him? was she pre- tending this deep interest in his affairs with the hope of making adraft upon his purse? He resolved to put her to the test. “You seem to feel an interest in me,” he said; “and you speak of traversing the land to discover something that intimately concerns meP As a matter of course, you expect that I shall pay your expenses ry “Silence, boy!’ exclaimed the woman with a look of such ineffable scorn that he was at once con- vinced he had gone entirely on the wrong tack; and his suspicions on that head were quicted in a moment. “ Do you think this is an affair of filthy lucre to me?” she asked, bending upon him a strange wild look: “or do you imagine that because I am clad thus miserably, and look a mere wander- ing beggar, I am affecting sympathy on your behalf for the sake of extracting the coin from your pocket? William Deveril, you utterly mistake me. Such is not my motive. But what it is, I do not intend to explain now :”’—and she rose to depart. “ You cannot mean to leave me in this frightful state of suspense?” he said. “1 do indeed perceive that there is a grave and a serious meaning at the bottom of all this; and you can well understand that my curiosity is painfully excited.” “Tam sorry that I cannot gratify it. It would do no good now. You must restrain your feelings. Go about your avocations, whatsoever they may be, and wheresoever they may lie; and think no more of me for one whole month!” “For one whole month!’ echoed Deveril. then ?” THE MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. “We will meet again. Carry it well in your mind; —this day month, and at this same hour too—nine o’clock in the evening—we will meet in London. Seg that you keep this appointment: it may, or it may not be important. If it is, so much the better: if not, there will be no harm done.” “ But you have named no place where we are to meet.” “True!” said the woman: and then she appeared to reflect for upwards of a minute. “Tell me the place of your abode,” she suddenly exclaimed. Deveril at once named the villa in the neighbour- hood ot the Regent’s Park. “Good!” said the woman. ‘*One month hence, day for day and hour for hour, will I be at your dwelling. And now farewell.” Having thus spoken, the strange creature ab- ruptly took her departure; and in a few moments Deveril heard the cottage door close behind her. We will not make any farther attempt to analyze the conflicting emotions which this scene left in the mind of our young hero: they can be better ima- gined than described. Exhausted in every sense, he soon fell asleep through very weariness; and opened not his eyes again until the morning. He rose, considerably refreshed and invigorated by the uninterrupted slumber which he_had enjoyed; and having dressed himself, he liberally rewarded the good-hearted peasants for all the kind attentions he had received at their hands. He then walked across to Gainsborough, whence he repaired to London by the earliest and readiest means that presented them- selves. CHAPTER LXVI. THE SIGN OF THE “ BILLY-GOAT.” Ir was between nine and ten o’clock at night, when William Deveril and Mr. Gunthorpe alighted from & private carriage in the immediate vicinity of old St. Pancras Church; and as they had previously rendered themselves acquainted with the position of Agar Town, by consulting the map of London, they had little trouble in making out its actual site. They crossed the canal bridge, and inquiring of a person whom they met which was the sign of the Billy Goat, were duly directed thither. On reaching the low boozing-ken, such uproarious sounds of uncouth merriment, mingled with horrible imprecations, came forth, that Deveril caught Mr. Gunthorpe by the arm, saying, “ My dear sir, I think you had much better not venture into this horrible place.” “Nonsense, nonsense!” exclaimed Mr. Gun- thorpe. “It is much worse for a young man like you—almost a boy, 1 might say—to penetrate into such a den. But it is necessary—and we will go together. Come—follow me.” Thus speaking, Mr. Gunthorpe pushed open the folding-doors of the public-house, and walked in, Deveril close at his beels. “Tell them wagabones in the parlour there,” ex- claimed Solomon Patch, “not to make such A cussed row. Here’s genelmen come in; and who knows but they have a mind to take a bottle of wine in a quiet comfortable manner ?” But as he spoke, the landlord of the Billy Goat eyed the visitors suspiciously, as if he thought they EO) 0)(0)(6) <=) (€@)