The Mysteries of London, Vol. IV — page 121: what you’re looking at

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

ed - — Ons CEES WG oe G Sl a a re even encentneety 114 TIE MYSTERIES OF LOKDON. fashion! ‘All sthis, doubtless, must be the work of nature: for where could she have become familiar with the manners and customs of thedrawing-room? Ah! Was not that a noise?” And the miser, hastily shutting up his cash-box, started to his feet. - Tle listened-——but all was still! A false alarm,” he murmured to himself—and re- sumed his seat. But the incident had completely disturbed the cur- rent of his thoughts which were flowing into .a more voluptuous channel than for years and years they had done,—the beauty of Perdita having madc a deep im- pression upon the mind of the miser, and for a few minutes weaned away his attention from the hitherto all-absorbing gold that he worshipped so devotedly, And now that alarm,—-whether false or real, we cannot as yet determine,—recalled his errant thoughts to the one engrossing subject: and carefully depositing his cash-box in the safe, he next secured the safe itself Then, having placed the key in his pocket, he took the candle in his hand, and once more inspected the stieet- door—the shutters in the front-room—and tie bolt of the back-gate. Ile descended into the kitchen,—that kitchen which no don.estic occupied, and tho hearth of which so sel- dom sparkled or shone with blazing coal or weod,—a enrsed hearth which, even in the very midst of sum- mer, seemed cheerless and cold! The area that gavo licht ta the kitchen-window was strongly barred over: the window itself was likewise barred ;—and the door opening into the’area was well secured with bolts and chains. All these muntiplied precautions were duly inspected by the miser. Forgotten now was the image of Per- dita :-—old—gold—/is gold,—this was the one absorb- iny iden! No-—not the only one: for with the thought of pos- sessing gold is ever associated the dread of Josing it ;— and at this moment the man’s mind was a prey to vague fears—undefined alarms—gloomy misgivings. He did not like that noise which he had heard :—it haunted him like a spectre ;—it wus something that weighed upon his soul like lead, Ue felt—he knew that le was really alone in that house,—aye, and that the louse was lonely in situa- tion Hikewise: for he could not count for aid, in case of need, on the elderly widow next door and her two or three poor female lodgers. Thus, the fact that there was a house adjoining did not detract from the sense of utter loneliness awakened in his mind respecting his own aboie. But were not the bolts secure—the chains fustencd —the bars all firm and strong? Oh! he had not spared his money to obtain the best iron and the best svork when those precautions were adopted; and, sinee he had Leconie a miser, he had never paid a bill so cheerfully a3 that which the defences of his dwelling had incurred. Yes-—the bolts were secure—the chains awere well fastened—and the bars were all firm and strong ;—and yet Percival was not at case in hi’ mind. That unknown, wnaccountable noise had alarmed him, It was a noise the nature of which he could searecly explain to himself,—nor whether it had oc- curred inside or, outside the house: no—nor whether it were the creaking of timber—or the shaking of the shutters—or the sound of a human voice speaking bow, hoarse, and in a disguised tone. Having convinced himself that all was secure in the kitchen and the little seullery at the back, Pereival once more ascended to his back parlour. He looked at his watch, and found it was half an hour past mid- night :—still he felt no inclination to sleep! Vague and oppressive fears continued to haunt him ;—and the more he essayed to wrestle with his reflections, the more intolerable did they become,—till at last, horribh ideas were forced upon his imagination,—of how misery had been murdered for their gold—how their blood had been poured out even on the very treasure-chests to which they clung with desperate tenacity while the blows of the assassins rained down upon their heads! Of all these things he thought; and his brain ap- peared to whirl. Ie cast his cycs around: objects of terror seemed to encounter them in all directions—for his fevered, excited imagination conjured up the most horrifying phantoms. suddenly taking his head as it were in his hands, and pressing it violently, he exclaimed aloud, “ Perdi- tion take this cowardly nervousness! What have I to fear to-night—more than any other? Inecd rest-— repose—slumber;—and when I awake in the morn- ing, Ishall Jaughat nyself for the absurd terrors te which I have yielded now!” Taking the light in his hand, he was about to quit the room and seek his chamber up stairs, when a sound, as of the back door slowly opening, fell upon hig enrs;—and so great was the alarm with which this circumstance filled him,—striking him ag it were with a sudden paralysis,—that he let the candle fall upon the floor—and the light was immediately extin- guished. Then there wag the rush as ofa man up the stairs leading from the back door to the parlour;—and in another moment Percival was assailed in the dark, and in a desperate manner. A heavy blow, as witha bludgeon, felled him to the ground,—not quite stun- ning him, but so far depriving him of his physica. cnergics that he could not even ery ont. But he grasped the murderer by the throats and a short ptrugele ensued, The assassin, however, was armed with the determination, if not with the strencth, of a demon ;—and, dashing the miser back on the floor again with all his force, he seized the bludgeon and wielded it with such fearful effect, that in a few in- stants the victim lay motionless and silent beneath him! This fearful crime was accomplished in the dark and yet the murderer appeared not to be atraid—not to louse his presence of mind. It would also seem that he was acquainted with the nook where the miser’s gold was concealed: yes—even circumstances more minute still were known to him. For, stooping down, and passing his hand over the corpse, he felt in the very pocket where Percival had placed the key of the cup- board enclosing the iron safe;—and then, groping his way to that cupboard, he opened it,—opened likewise the iron safe,—and drew forth the tin case containing the miser’s gold and bank-notes. Breaking open the lid of the box, the saiscreant secured all the coin, notes, and papers about his person, and then stole away from the dwelling by means of the back-gate, which he closed behind him. r x * & t rs * x x « as At halt-past seven o’clock in the morning, Mrs Dyer knocked at the door of the miser’s house, and was somewhat surprised when, five minutes having clapsed, her summons remained unanswered. COA GIOOKS (SO)