The Young Duchess; or, Memoirs of a Lady of Quality — page 373: what you’re looking at

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

ee et i ne ne THE YOUNG DUCHESS; OR, MEMOIRS OF A LADY OF QUALITY. 859 Tim, also speaking in a low whisper, and with a | as the police-constable sprang out of the window look of deep disappointment. must belong to somewhere !” “Ah, if we only knowed where,” said Jack Peppercorn gloomily. “Hark !” suddenly ejaculated Tim Gaffney, though in a subdued tone; ‘what's that noise ?” “I’m blowed if there isn’t footsteps somewhere !” said Jack, ‘‘Douse the glim, quick!” “Stop! hush !”—and Gaffney stole towards the door, which he partially opened: then listening fot an instant only—for that space of time was sufficient —he turned towards his companion; | quickly whispering, ‘“‘ We must look out for it, Jack! There’s an alarm somehow or another!” Gaffney shut up the lantern as he spoke: then | he again listened. The sounds which had previ- ously alarmed him had ceased; but as he peeped over the banister of the landing, he beheld a sud- den gleam of light thrown across the hall below. The glare of a policeman’s bull’s-eye was familiar enough to the ruffian; and grasping Peppercorn abruptly and violently by the wrist, hé said in a hurried whisper, “This way, Jack! On tiptoe, and tread like a mouse, for your very life!” Tim Gaffiity led the way to a window at the back of the landing: for by the topographical knowledge which he had acquired in respect to the premises, he knew that this window opened upon the leads of a small building abutting against the back part of the house. His hand felt for the latch, the unfastening of which made a sharp click—which however signified but little, for the next instant the noise occasioned by flinging up the window caused a hurried rush of footsteps to proceed from the flight of stairs below that land- ing-place. Through the open window sprang Tim Gaffney: after him went Jack Peppercorn; and they alighted upon the leads of the projecting building, which was some eight or ten feet lower than the window from which they had descended. The moon was shining brightly; and a glance flung over the parapet of the building, showed Tim Gaffney in a rhoment that he was once more somewhat out in his reckoning. He had fancied that there would be a comparatively easy descent from the top of the out-building into the yard below, whence he had reckoned that he and his companion might escape into some of the adjoin- ing premises, ftom which they should finally dis- cover the means of egress: but now to his consternation he saw that the yard at the back of the house was much lower than the level of Hat- ton Garden upon which the front looked. Thus, to be brief, instead of having merely a dozen or so of feet to lower themselves down, the burglars found to their dismay that it was into a depth of more than double that distance that they must now leap ! They hesitated—they recoiled from the precipice over which they looked. ‘* Hullo, miy men! you'd better give in and sur- render!” exclaimed the voice of a policeman, whose head was now thtust out of the window. “Take them! capture them! shoot them!” cried another voice, speaking in tones that were vehement and excited. “Murder has been done! seize the wretches !” ‘Murder ?” echoed Tim Gaffney. ‘Then here goes !”—-and down from the building he leapt, just ete AMLOOO) “Yet them keys | upon the roof of that abutting edifice. “TJ surrender,” said Jack Peppercorn, who did not dare follow the desperaté leap taken by his comrade. The policeman sprang his rattle and raised ah alarm; and when thesounds had subsided, groans were heard coming up from below. “ Poor Tim! I’m afeard it’s all over with him,” said Jack Peppercorn, as he looked down atid be- held his companion lying all doubled up like a bundle of old clothes in the paved yard beneath. We will just interrupt the thread of our narra- tive for a moment to inform the reader that Stephen Ashborne, while watching the house from the opposite side of the street, had seen a light suddenly appear and then as rapidly disappear in one of the front rooms on the second floor. This, be it understood, was when Jack Peppertorh clum- sily kicked apart the draperies in Mr. Casey's chamber. Ashborne was at once struck by the suspicious nature of the incident. Without ex- actly comprehending how the circumstance oc- curred, he thought it was the quick vanishing of the light of a dark lantern. If so, then those men had entered stealthily and with an evil in- tent. Besides, was it to be supposed that if they had gone thither by Mr. Casey’s own appointment, he would have received them in ohe of the upper rooms, with the chance of alarming his family and the domestics ?—but would it not have been some- where in the lower part of the house that he would have given an audience to visitors arriving at that hour and evidently under circumstances of secrecy and stealthineéss ? All these ideas passed much more rapidly through the brain of Stephen Ashbortie than we have been enabled to commit them to paper ; and as at the moment a police-constable happened to be passing, the young man commiifiicated his suspicion that a burglarious attempt was then being made in respect to the house opposite. The officer at once agreed to accompany Ashborne : they first of all tried the area-gate—and on find- ing it unlocked, they descended. When the doot leading from the area into the kitchen was found to be unfastened, suspicion grew still stronger : the constable and Ashborite ascerideéd into the hall —and in less than a minute afterwards the sudden opening of the window on the second landing led to the catastrophe already described. But we should observe that Stephen Ashborié had snatched the bull’s-¢eye, or dark lantern, froiii the hand of the policeman; for he was in a hort- tible state of uncertainty as to what migtit have been going on ifi the house. He saw a chanifyer- door half open on the second landing, which wag the same whence the btirglars had descended ffoth the window: he entéfed==and there he beheld the spectacle which causéd him the ext instarit to rush forth again, and protlaim with horrified looks and excited tones that mutder had beeti committed ! Alarm and confusion now preévailéd thfouzhout the liouse. Mts. Casey, half-diessed, was hasty ing from her own chamber : Sylvester, in a paudy silk dressing-gown, and arnied with poker and tongs, but looking deadly pale and duspuritely frightened, had vefitured to descend half-way down the staits from fhe higher storey, whetfe le slept; afd the two niaid-servants, who constituted Colin