The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 336: what you’re looking at

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

| | 322 the boy, producing a five-shilling piece. “It’s the _reg’lar counterfeit crank she’s come over me!” i } | | | ' ! ) | | | “ Nonsense,” interrupted the Buttoner: then pulling a handful of silver from his pocket, and counting out ten shillings, he said, “Now give me the Jetter you’ve got about you—walk about for half-an-hour or so—and go back and tell the young woman that you've done her commission quite faithful.” The ten shillings chinked in the boy’s hand— the Buttoner grasped the letter—and they sepa- rated,—the latter returning to the boczing-xen where he had left the Hangman and Bencull. In a few hasty words he explained to them all that had occurred; and on opening the ietter, which was addressed to Sir Douglas Huntingdon, the contents were found to be as follow :— **Look well to your premises to-night. A burglary is _ contemplated by some of the men you saw at the hut on Shooter’s Hill. I said all I could to prevent this further | annoyance towards you; but I could not succeed in stav~ | | | | | | | | | | ooo - ing it off. I am very much afraid that they suspected I was playing a part; if so, all these causes of suspicion will make it go hard with me sooner or later. But no matter: | whatever is to happen must take its course, I would | have come back to warn you of the attempt that will be made; but I am so fearful that one of the men might go and watch the street. SoI prefer writing, and have found a trusty messenger. I think the men will enter by the coach-house and get round to the back of the premises; but you must keep watch at all points. One thing how- ever I conjure you—that is not to adopt any means to take them into custody, nor yet todo them any un- necessary hurt: only just to defend and protect your- self, This is most likely the last time you will ever hear of ' or from *t KLLEN.” The rage of the Hangman, Bencull, and the Buttoner, on reading this epistle, may be bet- ter conceived than described. Daniel Coffin mut- tered such awful threats against the young woman, that if his two companions had not been kindred fiends, their blood would have run cold, But when the first ebullition of their diabolical wrath was expended, they agreed after ca!mer and cooler deliberation, to. conceal for the present their knowledge of this additional treachery on Nell Gibson’s part, with a view to ascertain by some means or other whether she were also be- traying them in respect to the plot initiated against Larry Sampson, By the time this resolution was fairly discussed and adopted by the three villains, the Hangman’s watch showed that it was midnight. They accord- ingly tossed off bumpers of brandy to drink suc- cess to their undertaking ; and thus inspired with 4 more than natural amount of brute courage, they repaired in the direction of Sir Douglas Hun- tingdon’s mansion. Although the street where the house was situated was a fashionable one, it was no great thorough- fare; and by the aid of the Hangman’s skeleton keys th: coach-house door was soon opened, The three ruffians, having thus let themselves into this portion of the establishment, locked the door be- hind them, and then proceeded to light a “ darkey,” or lantern, which also formed part of the invariable tackle of acracksman. In the rear of the coach- house were the stables, in which there were several horses; and there was a door behind, leading into a yard at the back of the house. The three bur- glars accordingly entered the stable for the purpose 2 ee eee —_~ ee ee ee eee THE MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. ' of passing through by the way described: but two of the horses exhibited such manifestations of terror by kicking and plunging, as if instinctively aware of the presence of intruders, that a groom who slept in a chamber above tie coach-house was aroused from his repose. Leaping from his bed, and arming himself with a pair of pistols, the groom sprang down the ladder leading to his chamber: but he was instantaneously seized by the three birglars, against whom he made a desperate resistance. The lantern was dashed out of the Hangman’s hand, and the glass broken against the wall: it then fell upon a heap i en we a ee tee _—_—.<« of straw, the light remaining unextinguished. | The same blow which dashed the lantern from — Cothin’s band knocked him violently down ; and he lay half-stunned upon the floor for nearly a minute, during which Bencull and the Buttoner © succeeded in overpowering the groom. “Let's give him his grucl, Ben,” cried the Buttoner, as they both dashed the unfortunate man with all their strength against the wall; so — that he groaned heavily, once, and then fell—lying motionless, ¢ither dead or else stunned beyond all hope of recovery. But scarcely was this crime accomplished, when the sudden blazing of the straw on which the lan- | tern had fallen, startled the burglars. From the Buttoner’s lips burst the cry, of “ Fire !"—the Hangman, who had just recovered his senses, sprang as if galvanized to his feet;—and Bencull at once began to throw pails of water upon the burning material, there being a pump in the coach-house. But this endeavour te extinguish the flame speedily proying utterly ineffectual, the three burglars were compelled to depart as stealthily | and promptly as they eguld. Sir Douglas Huntingdon had not as yet retired to rest. The story which he had heard from the lips of his housekeeper relative to the troubles of — Theodore and Ariadne YVarian—together with the singular and touching features of his interview | with Nell Gibson,—had’ furnished him with so much food for reflection that he remained sitting by his cheerful fireside, lost in serious meditation. All the rest of the household had retired to their chambers: a profound stillness reigned through the house; and not a sound reached his ears from without. But all on a sudden this dead, deep si- lence—this awe-inspiring solemnity of the mid- | night hour—was broken by that most terrible of | all alarms, the cry of “ Fire !” Startled from his reflections as if by the voice of doom thundering in his ear, and springing from his seat as if stung by an adder, Sir Douglas Hun- tingdon rushed from the room and bounded forth to the front door to ascertain whether the alarm were real and where the fire was. In an instant he acquired the dreadful certainty that it was neither a cruel jest nor a false rumour: for the moment he opened the front door, the vivid light flashed upon his eyes, and he beheld the flames bursting forth from the windows of the rooms above the coach- house. Already, too, were crowds hurrying thither —the alarm was spreading to the neighbouring dwellings—and all the usual features of such a scene were manifesting themselves in their variety, con- fusion, and excitement. Several persons sprang towards Sir Douglas— some proffering their advice—others demanding ee ——— a ee -_--~ | | ' 0)(0)(0) COMMUNE S (E()