Rose Mortimer; Or, The Ballet-Girl's Revenge — page 150: what you’re looking at

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

144 ROSE MORTIMER. —_—_—__—_—_——evwXKr«ereowe ‘* There goes five thousand pounds !’’ he muttered between his teeth. “Eh ?”” said the waterman. : Mermet was brought to his presence of mind by this remark. . *“ What do you say ?” he demanded of the water- man. ** Why that’s what I was a-askin’ of you,” said the man. ‘* T was talking to myself.”’ “And very rum words you was saying, too, my friend, I should say.” “¢ Silence !”’ The waterman started at the austerity of the other’s tone. ‘‘ Hullo! my friend. You’re making rather bold it strikes me.” ‘‘ Hold your tongue, and get back to shore as soon as you can.”’ * Allright. I’m going. We haven’t managed to save the poor gal’s life, but we’ve recovered the body, and shall get the society’s medal and something hand- some if you will say a word for me.”’ ‘TJ shall see.” ** And I dare say that I shall get a trifle from her friends, if they can manage to identify her. There's sure to be some papers in her pockets.” ‘You think so?” ““ Most likely.”’ Mermet at once applied himself to a diligent’ search in the pocket of the dead girl’s dress. “Hullo!” cried the waterman. ‘‘ Drop that game, your honour.”’ “¢ Silence Y’ ““ Silence! silence! Bless’d if you can say anything but ‘ Silence! ”’ “Hold your tongue.”’ But the man did not like the probability of losing the Humane Society’s medal, and the reward which her friends would probably give, supposing the poc- kets of the deceased had not been tampered with. “‘T tell you what, sir,’ said he to Mermet. ‘‘Just keep your hands off the corpse until we get ashore.”’ The Arab was not at all pleased at being interfered» with, and he made a very angry retort to the water- man, which only served to make matters worse, in- stead of effecting an apes one’ “‘ It’s my opinion that you want to rob the body,” said the waterman. “Tt is?” “Yes, that it is.” ‘‘Then it is an opinion, my friend, best. kept to yourself.”” “Why so?” “Tt is dangerous to make yourself obnoxious to s0me men.”’ “Get out!’ said the waterman. ‘‘ What do J cave for your threats? I only want you to pay me for the use of my boat and the reward as you promised.”’ ** But you have failed.”’ ‘‘T deny that, guvnor. killed her.’ ‘* Rascal !”” “* So you did. Oh! I ain’t a-feared of your frowns. She was coming round all right until she saw your ugly face.” Mermet’s this. Any one who knew the necromancer might have seen by the expression of his countenance that he now meditated mischief. “* Sinee you have ehosen to make yourself unplea- sant in your absurd remarks,” said the Arab, ‘‘ you shall pay the penalty of your fault. Thus doI deprive you of all chance of the rewards you speak of.” Then before the man could divine his intention, I saved her life. You brow lowered as the waterman spoke much less offer to interfere, the necromancer took up the cold wet body of the ill-fated Grace Walgrave and threw it over the side again into the water. With a dull fatal sounding splash it went to the bottom. The waterman jumped up with a cry, and leant over the boat’s side to save the sinking body. Too late. ‘¢ Since you seem so very anxious about it,’’ said the Arab, ‘“‘ you may go after it.’’ And with a sudden jerk he launched the waterman after the body. With a piercing shriek of terror the waterman went down. Down never to rise again. ‘““That’s off my hands!’’ said Mermet, with ad- mirable coolness. ‘* And now I can sleep in peace !” CHAPTER LVIII, THE SOLITARY BOATMAN—THE MUDBANK—HOME —MERMET’S VICTIMS—ANOTHER TO THE LIST —THE DEBAUCHEE’S THREAT — MERMET’S CUNNING—THE CAB—THE GIRL—FALSE LOVE —A TALE OF TREACHERY AND DECEIT. AN hour passed. Dark and gloomy was the silent river at that awful time. The very witching hour of night—the hour of all others for murder most foul, and crimes such as had been perpetrated. A few hundred yards up the river—close by the stone terrace of the Houses of Parliament—a little boat, containing a solitary rower, worked its way to the shore by slow and painful degrees. As it neared the river’s bank the reason of its very slow progress was apparent. The occupant of the boat had only a single oar. This even he had picked up by chance as he glided along with the tide. : Then he had been obliged to get along as best he could by using the oar upon the stern of the boat. His dexterity at his work showed him to be better acquainted with boating matters than his appearance might have led one to suppose. At length the shore was gained, the boat run on to the mud bank, and out sprang Mermet the necromancer. Mermet himself, bearing a charmed life it would almost appear. He alone had survived that fearful night. The scene of horror he had just witnessed must have caused the boldest cheek to blanch, the Stoutest heart to quail. ; But upon the Arab it had little or no effect what- ever. He sprang ashore, chuckling with glee at his escape. Upon the other hand he could not fail to feel annoyed at having let the princely prize which he thought to extort from Grace Walgrave slip through his fingers. ““No matter,”’ he muttered, ‘‘ I must hasten home. I shall be in time to keep the appointment with Miss Lotty Chepstow. Poor Lotty! I should say that Brownbill may look upon his conquest there as achieved.”’ And muttering thus, the necromancer hastened homewards. Notwithstanding his great presence of mind, it must be said that the Arab was not a little pleased to find himself once more within his home. GoOmichdoo