The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 129: what you’re looking at

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THE MYSTERIES OF THE COURT Barney dashed the door violently open; and a heavy fall was heard, instantaneously followed by a ery for help. Then the Burker dealt a tremendous blow with the butt-end of a pistol which he snatched forth from his pocket ; and Bab Smedley, suddenly recalling all her courage, rushed in with the light. The lodger lay upon the floor, low moans escaping from his lips: but those quickly ceased, as the remorseless Burker dealt him an- other terrific blow with his weapon—a blow which beat in the unfortunate victim’s forehead. It was done—the murder was accomplished—and that victim was no more! it was evident that being disturbed by the noise at the door, he had got out of bed to ascertain what was the matter—he had huddled on his pantalogns —and he was about to open the door to listen whether all was quiet, or whether there were in- deed anything wrong going on in the house,— when the circumstance of his hand encountering the wire and the key had confirmed his terror and had caused an ejaculation to fall from his lips. There he now lay upon the floor—a corpse, with his forehead battered in! “Come, you fool,’ said Bab Smedley to her husband; “ don’t stand like a coward there ? “No coward, Bab! That feeling is gone,’ in- terrupted Jack, whose courage now likewise re- turned, the fear of danger being suddenly passed. “ Let’s look after the swag.” “Aye, that’s it,” said the Burker, “ and dispose of the stiff’un arterwards. Well, the job was done neat enough arter all; though I tell you what, Master Jack, no thanks to you if we didn’t make a mess of the whole affair. You and me has done two or three things in our life-time; but I never see you get so chicken-hearted afore.” “It wasn’t the thing itself I was afraid of,” answered Smedley, by no means relishing these taunts: “it was the fear of having the whole neighbourhood roused.” “ And so you would, if it hadn’t been for me,” rejoined the Burker in a sayage tone. “ How- sumever, it’s all over now Ah, and here’s the blunt !” For while the ruffian was giving utterance. to those words, he stooped down and felt in the pockets of the murdered man’s pantaloons. He drew forth two purses; and a hasty examination of the contents showed him that though one con- tained but a trifle of money, the contents of the other amounted to about five hundred pounds. This was an infinitely greater treasure than any of the wretches expected to acquire by their deed of turpitude; and their spirits rose to the highest point of horrible exultation. “ Now let Mrs. Webber come and mop up them beards at vunce,’ said the Burker; “or else there'll be marks on ’em as will tell tales. And you, Bab, can stop with the lads to get the trap- door up, while me and Jack brings down the stiff’'un. The sooner all’s put to rights the better.” Mrs. Smedley, placing the light upon a chest of drawers, hastily descended the stairs; and in a few minutes the old woman made her appearance in the chamber, with a pail of hot water and a flannel. But little blood had flowed on the floor ; and none had reached the carpet, of which there wasonly a slip by the side of the bed. The vile ee we ee ee ee - 123 woman showed no more feeling than that which a slight shudder expressed, as her first glance was flung upon the corpse; and this arose merely from a swiftly transient sense of recoil from the spectacle of the battered forehead—but certainly not from any compunction at the atrocious deed itself. The floor was soon cleansed with the flannel; and then, as the old woman held the light, the Burker and Jack Smedley, raising the body between them, began to carry it down the stairs. The scullery was reached; and now the two lads for the first time looked upon a form whence murder had expelled the breath of life!—for the first time did they behold a corpse which was made so by the black turpitude of assassination! An instant—and only for an instant—did they shrink back from the spectacle: a moment too— and only for a moment—did their minds appear to receive a shock; and then their brutal, savage self- possession was regained: the fierceness of their instincts appeared to triumph over any latent glimmering of their better feelings. The Burker contemplated them both from the corners of his eyes: he saw full well what was passing within them; and a devilish expression of satisfaction appeared upon his hideous countenance, as he felt that they were now more than ever bound fast in the trammels which he had east around them, and by means of which he rendered them ductile and pliant to all his purposes of evil. The table was moved away from the middle of the scullery—the square piece of carpet on which it was wont to stand, was likewise taken up—and a trap-door was raised. This trap-door revealed a considerable aperture: it was the mouth of a pit, whence a disagreeable earthy smell came up. There were steps leading down into the abyss; and to that depth was the corpse conveyed by Barney the Burker and Jack Smedley. The two women and the two lads stood close by the trap/ door, gazing upon the scene which the light of the candle illuminated with a sufficiency to throw out its most hideous and ghastly features. And hor- rible indeed was that scene,—horrible the face of the miscreant Burker, bending over the rigid and blood-stained countenance of the murdered man— that countenance, too, on the upper part of which there appeared so frightful a wound ! “Hush,” said Bab Smedley, suddenly breaking the silence which prevailed. “I do believe there is some one in the passage up-stairs !” “Nonsense!” growled the Burker: “if all the doors is shut, how can there be any one in the house? And if there is, we'll sarve him as we’ve done the stiff’un here.” “ Do be quiet !” whispered Mrs. Smedley with affrighted impatience. “I am certain there are footsteps !” The woman spoke so confidently that all did now remain perfectly quiet, with suspended breath : but no sound met their ears—and Mrs. Smedley yielded to the conclusion that it was only fancy on her part. But all of a sudden there was a strange rushing noise in the passage above: the body fell from the Burker’s grasp—and Jack Smedley, who was lower down the steps, sustaining the feet of the murdered man, fell backward with consider- able violence, the corpse rolling upon him. It was in the bottom of the vault that this horrible (C(O) O}O}O