Ivan the Terrible; or, Dark Deeds of Night — page 190: what you’re looking at

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

186 respectable tavern,” he said ; and then after a short pause, *“ T am only recently from abroad, having been called to London concerning some property that has been left me. Can you let me have a roomin your house while I remain in town ?” “‘ Certainly, sir ; you can have this or any other room in the house.” “TJ like a nice quiet room. I should like an attic most of all, if you have one.” “ Certainly, sir ; our attic is as good as any in London, though perhaps I ought not to say it. Why, right between two chimbleys, when there ain’t a fog, and the brewery isn’t at work, you can get a beautiful view of a little bit of the river from it.”’ This was of course a great recommendation, and the Jew came to the conclusion that he would become the tenant of the room with the cheerful prospect, “T dare say it will suit me very well. I will look at it as soon as I have finished eating,” he said. Being ravenous with hunger he was not long consuming the meal with which he had been provided ; and after a glass or two of wine, he felt wonderfully refreshed. es His haggard, care-worn look disappéared, and his old, quiet smile of cunning and ferocity bégan to play over his face again, “after meditating for somé little time, planning schemes in which he anticipated triumphing over Ivan, Andy, and all his enemies—or rather those two first named, against whom he entertained feelings of envy and hatred—he summoned the woman, and desired to be shown the attic he proposed to hire. * It was a remarkably low-roofed toom, but it suited Aaron very well, for he thought that of course no one would ever suspect he would reside so near a place, and in such a heigh- bourhood, where he very well knew many of the Forgers were wou to visit at night for purposes of robbery and other yvil- any. “ This will do if the rent is not too high,” said he, after looking around the place. “ What is the price?” “Two shillings a week, sir.” “ Very moderate, indeed, Here is the money for five weeks’ rent,” replied he, handing her ten shillings, upon which the old woman felt extremely annoyed that she had not demanded twice as much. ‘Whenever I go out I shall take the key of this room with .me,” continued Aaron, the cunning Jew. “So that anything that requires to be done init must be done while I am af home.” “ Just as you please, sir.”’ ‘‘ And, remember this—if any one comes here to enquire if you have a lodger of any description you must reply no, Unless you do so, I shall leave at once.” ** But, sir, Supposing any of your friends should call ?” ‘‘T have no friends,”’ ‘ Bless my soul !—no friends?” ‘‘No friends ; nor shall I ever have aiiy, though I have “brethren”? who would not hesitate to cut my throat if they had a chance,” ; ‘What wicked creatures |” exclaimed the woman, holding up both her dirty hands, “They are indeed ; and, therefore, by the advice of my legal friends,” said Aaron, smiling. “I come to live here where it is not very likely they will find me.” “Well now, what wretches there are in the world, sir !” “‘ There are, indeed ; but if you keep my secret you may depend on receiving a very handsome present sonie day ; mark that, my good woman.” The woman gave a succession of low ¢urtsies, and her hew. lgiger then signified that he wished to bé left alone for a ime. F “Jam safe now,’ he muttered to himself as he closed the oor, ° Little did Aaron imagine how vety persevetingly the spies of Sir Charles Cavendish the magistraté were watéeh- ing his every movement, as well as others of the famous ‘“‘Forgers,” concerning the murder of Michael the ¢loth- worker, and for other crimes, and that at thé very moment IVAN THE TERRIBLE, : he was impressing on the old woman, his landlady, the necessity of denying him to every one, a man was stand- ing before the opposite door of the shop, taking a very accurate notice of the house, and endeavouring to form some stratagem by which to discover how long Aaron in- tended. to remain there, and the causes of his leaving Ivan’s gang. ' The fact was that the keen-eyed officers of the magis- trate had never lost sight of him for more than a few hours at a time, and that was during the time he was in the “Raven” public-house, where he had found the bundle of hotes and gold, Even then one of them by clambering on the rook of an adjoining house (the owner of which he knew) informed his companions that their game was certainly earthed some- where close at hand, in the filthy lanes and alley ways of the “ Forge.” Ana when, disguised as much as he could, Aaron had left the “Raven,” and once more ventured into the street, the © officers instantly recognised him, notwithstanding his dis- guise, and he was accordingly quietly followed to his new lodgings by one of them, while another proceeded to the magis- trate’s, Sir Charles Cavendish’s abode to report progress and obtain instructions. ; This Aaron, the traitor to his gang, knew nothing about, and though he certainly felt more comfortable than he did when in company of Andy at the “Raven,” he was by no means happy or light-hearted. | es ; For a time he sat in deep anxious thought, and then glided down stairs to desire his landlady to procure him pens, ink, and paper. y The house did not possess & bell, and, therefore, all commu- nications between the upper and the lower regions - had to be spoken at a loud voice down the staircase. His orders, however, were soon obeyed, and the good ‘woman placed before him a quire of paper, several pens, and a teacup containing ink. | Then he made a series of calculations with a view to dis- cover how long the gold and notes would last him, and how much he would have left out of it with which to leave England for ever, and set up business of some kind abroad where he would be unknown and unsuspected. Having satisfied himself upon this point his eyes glistened, for he said to himself, “ T will write out a long and full confession of all I know about Ivan and the Forgers, This I will give to Sir Charles Cavendish, the magistrate, and no doubt he will pay me well for it, and procure me a full pardon.” Fearful confessions they were, too, which he could make had he thought proper ! The whole day he remained at this self-imposed task of writing, while his feelings were of the most confused descrip- tion—fear, remorse, hate, triumph, and shame, all struggling for the chief place in his heart. With trembling hands he once more recorded the dark doings of his life among Ivan’s gang at the ‘‘Forge,” the lightest crime of which would certainly be more than sufficient to consign him to an ignominious death on the scaffold. It was nearly evening by the time he had finished his task. From the morning he had pursued his labours without in- terruption or intermission, save for one hasty meal, which the landlady brought him on the suggestion of her own mind; he had been too mich engrossed with his task te think of food or drink. At length, however, as the sun was sinking in the west, he finished it, and folding the whole in a packet he tied it round with string, and then wrote the address— “ “To SIR CHARLES CAVENDISH, Justice of the Peace,” “Tis {done !” he exclaimed, “ After all I think fate has frowned upon me long enough, and begins to find that I am not the man to be turned oub of my path by threats of evil. Let Ivan, Andy, and the whole gang now tremble, Better days are in store for me, if I mistake not. Ha! ha!” “Ha! ha!” laughed the echo of his own voice. Starting up he gazed round suspiciously, half expecting to GComichooksscom