Rose Mortimer; Or, The Ballet-Girl's Revenge — page 169: what you’re looking at

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

ee THE BALLET-GIRL’S REVENGE. 163 Ban tOn-tan Sl TO oa. a. “ He didn’t say.’’ “Go and see.” i Thomas, the coachman, came up immediately, in obedience tothe summons. wy ‘“Where did the earl book to from Springford, Thomas?” asked Lady Bellisle. *€ Can’t say, my lady.”’ » © How provoking !” **T ean learn at once.” And he was about to withdraw when Lady Bellisle stopped him. ~ “Stay. Put the horses to.” be ‘6 Ves, my lady.” — “‘ Don’t lose an instant.”’ “No, my lady.” | | ! The coachman left the room, and shortly returned to announce that the carriage was ready. She ran downstairs, and» was driven quickly across the country to Springford. : : It was about three milesy and her impatience knew no bounds. ta Dae Gif | It was with much difficulty that she continued to keep her-seat. At length the journey was over, and she was at Springford. OM She sprang out of the carriage and ran up to the booking office of the railway station, where shé was well known by the elerks and porters about. “The Earlof Sloeford booked from here yesterday, I believe ?”’ *€ Yes, my lady.”’ “¢ Where to?”’ “ Hatfield, my lady.” “Thank you.” And she turned away. _ But the thought came to her that some explanation was perhaps necessary, and she returned immediately. * “T wished to follow his lordship upon important business,’’ she said, ‘and, as he has not left his des- tination behind, I took this as the only means of finding him.’ * Yes, my lady.” “ When is the next train 2?” ““ For Hatfield 2?” 6s Ves.”’ “Half an hour, my lady.” “T shall book by that train, then, Will you get me a ticket?” ** Return ?” “* No—single.”’ . Then she called the coachman to her. *“ Now, Thomas,” she said, “I am going to leave again. I shall telegraph my address to-night, so that my letters may-be forwarded to me at once by a special messenger.’’ ** Yes, my lady.” You can return now.” ‘Thank you, my lady.” CHAPTER LXY. LONDON—NIGHT—DARK DEEDS—THE VAULT— THE BODY—THE RESURRECTIONIST—THE VISIT TO THE NECROMANCER—A BARTER FOR FLESH — DOG BITE DOG — THE LONE HOUSE — THE MIDNIGHT JOURNEY—THE CART AND ITS LOAD —ALARM—CHASE—POLICE—MERMET AGAIN— SUPERNATURAL AGENCIES—A COMPACT—‘ RE- SURRECTION JOE, YOU ARE IN MY POWER!” WE shift our scene. Now it is laid in London once again. It is night—night grim and dark—night in all its terrors. In a remote part of this large metropolis deeds were being done which would have startled the whole world. Practices which have been deemed long since dead. Practices which make the weak heart shudder, the strong revolt. In a dark and silent vault beneath an untenanted house we open our scene. The house had long since been out. of repair and without a tenant. The reason of this was that, on account of some heinous crime having been once perpetrated there, it had gained a reputation for being haunted. - The cfime alluded to, was, however, so remotely connected with the haunted house that not even the oldest inhabitants of the neighbourhood could remem-. ber anything concerning it. Be this as it may, if the house were haunted or entirely free from all spiritual mrnifestations, it sufficed to gain it the reputation, and to serve the purpose of certain unscrupulous wretches of whom we are about to speak. In the cellar of the house, a noisesome dark yault, lay a long narrow object wrapt in a white sheet, which but imperfectly hid from the view its contents. The shuddering yet fascinated eye at once discerns the outline of a liuman body. It is a corpse. A cold clay corpse of one newly dead. _ And only a few hours have passed since the cold and inanimate thing before us had life and health, vigour and manhood, and a sfrong right arm to make the dastard tremble. A sharp wit, too, to make the scornful draw in their horns before him. And now the seat of wit is a blank. The muscles of those once powerful limbs are still in’ death. - Presently the fearful silence of this grim charnel- house is broken. A footstep is heard echoing in the street above. Then,with wonderful distinctness, in the silent night, is heard the lifting of a latch above by a careful hand, a hand evidently using all due caution to pre- vent the possibility of being overheard. But the newcomer is heavily laden, and his hand cannot act with the same freedom which it would else use, Then there is a pause in the newcomer’s move- ments above stairs. Then a heavy foot is heard descending the stairs, and it approaches the vault containing the dead body. Now he draws near, and we see a man ferocious in aspect, and employed upon a ghastly office. ° A mission which must denote all absence of com- punction, all kindly feeling or humanity. He staggers into the vault beneath the weight of a human body hanging across the right shoulder. ‘** Pheugh !”” he murmurs, panting freely. “‘ This has been a tough job.” Then he prepares to lay his ghastly burthen upon the ground. ** Gently, gently there,” he murmurs again. “ It wouldn’t do tosmash you up, my beanty, after all the trouble I’ve taken to secure you. Gently, gently. All right. Not much damage done. You’ll keep the other fellow company. Not over jolly, but you'll be all right. There’s no mistake about it— he’s a reg’lar beauty ; and if Resurrection Joe had only got the orfice as soon as I did, I shouldn’t have stood the ghost of a chance.” As he muttered the word “‘ ghost” he was sorry for having chosen such an expression. It sounded unpleasant in the present association. It was easy to see, from the whispered soliloquy which the man indulged in, that he was not exempt from all awe of death. SoG ——_ MCOMMGIOO