The Mysteries of London, Vol. IV — page 280: what you’re looking at

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

a a a a a a THE AYSTERIES OF LONDON. “Wow give us your hand, old feller,” said the ruffian-like individual, when they were safe inside tho passage: “ because the stairs is summut broke away, and the bannisters isn’t to be trusted. Lord! how you tremble} Why—what the hell are you afeard on ?”— Nothing—nothing, my good friend,” was tho answer, delivered in a nervous tone: “only—it’s— oe it’s—so—very—very—dark,” “ Dark!” cried the ruffian, with a hoarse laugh: “why, it wery often is dark in a houso at night But p’raps you’re afeard of ghosteses,” hoe continued, as he dragged rather than led the nervous old man down the crazy, rotting stairs towards the lower region of the place: “and if so, you’re in the right quarters to see a sperot—for they do say the young gal which was murdered here, walks in her shroud; —but, for my part, I never see her—and I han’t time, and where there’s no candle alight. got no fear of thut sort.” By the time these words were uttered, in a tone of coarse jocularity, the ruffian had conducted his companion to the bottom of the stairs; and, halting at that point, he struck a lucifer-match against the wall, and lighted a piece of candle: which he took from his pocket. He then led the way into the front kitchen of the house, bidding the old man close the door behind him. The place was black all over with accumulated dust and dirt: the ceiling appeared as if it had been originally painted a sable hue; and tho floor, broken in several parts, conveyed the sameimpression. The shelves above the dresser were in a most dilapidated condition; and the dense cob-webs clung to them, as well as to the corners of the ceiling, like masses of rotten rags, The shutters were closed; and over their entire surface were pasted sheets of thick brown paper—evidently to prevent the light of candles from peeping through their chinks and being noticed in the street. There was an old ricketty table in the middlo of the kitchen: there were likewise two chairs, which, being mado of a tough wood, had withstood the ravages of time; and an empty beer-barrel was placed upright near the table, as if it occasionally served as a third seat, The. ruffian stuck the candle in the neck of a bottle; and, opening one of the dresser-drawers, he drew forth a bottle and a couple of small tum- blers :—then, placing himself on the barrel, he pro- ceeded in a leisurely manner to light his pipe, while the old man—his companion—sank, nervous and trembling, into one of the Windsor-chairs. The reader has no doubt already guessed that these two individuals were Vitriol Bob and Tor- rens ;—and, if so, the surmise is correct, The latter person needs no description; but the former character must be more elaborately dealt with on the present occasion. Ho was indeed, as Jack Rily had represented him, one of the greatest miscreants that ever disgraced humanity,—not only ‘in reality, but also in personal appearance, Of tall stature, athletic frame, and muscular build, he pos- sessed vast physical strength. Hoe was about thirty- Bix years of age: his countenance was naturally ugly oven to repulsiveness—but huge black whiskers meeting under his chin, rendored it positively fero- cious ;—~and the small, dark; reptile-like eyes glared from beneath thick, overhanging brows, His lips wore remarkably coarse and of a livid hue; and his bose, broken in the middle, had a deep indentation, giving an appearance of death’s-head flatness to the broad countenance. His apparel consisted of a seedy suit of black—a hat with very wide brims, bont even to slouching—and a pair of heavy Wel- lington boats; and in his hand he carried a thick stick with a huge nob at one end and a massive fer- rule at the other, This was his “ life-preserver ;” but he seldom had occasion to use it—for his pro- ceedings were usually of the savage and diabolical nature described by the Doctor, and whenco he de- rived the appellation of Vitriol Bou. This terrible individual was well known to the police: but those functionaries trembled at the idea of molesting him. They would have experi- enced no such dread had his defensive weapons been confined to life-preservers or pistols: but there was something so horrible in the thought of having a bottle of burning, blinding 4uid broken over the countenance, that the officers shuddered at the bare idea of tackling Vitriol Bob. Thus, when- ever information was given of some nefarious deed which hoe had attempted or perpetrated, the police took very good care to search for him where they knew he was not to be found; and if they even mat him in one of the bye-streets or obscure alleys on the Surrey side of the metropolis—the quarter which he chiefly honoured with his presence—they were sud’only seized with an inclination to look Stedf>~ , into a picture-shop, or gazé up abstract- vd” ot the sky, until he had passed. ‘Vitriol Bob knew that he was an object of terror to the functionaries of justice in general: but he was also well aware that there were exceptions to the rule, and that amongst so large a body as tho police-force, geome few individuals would pounco upon him at all risks. In fact, the impunity he enjoyed was not so completely assured as to render precaution unngcessary; and there was moreover such a thing as being taken by surprise. For these reasons he accordingly mado use of one of the “haunted houses,”—for so they were denominated, —as a placo of concealment whenever ho had com- mitted a deed calculated to lead to tho institution of unpleasant enquiries. Such was the individual whom we now find in company with Torrens; and the circumstance that threw them together in tho first instance, will pre- sently transpire through the medium of the con- versation that took place as soon as they were seated in the kitcher of the haunted house, “Well, here we are safe at last, old feller,” cried Vitriol Bob, puffing deliberately at his pipe, as if ho savoured deliciously the soothing influences of the tobacco. “By goles! it is one of tha best larks I ever was engaged in. Such a lot of tin, and so aasily got!” “Two thousand seven hundred a piece—eh ?” said Torrens, eycing his companion with nervous suspense, as if he were eager to assure himself that a fair and equitable division of the booty would take place. “Hah!” observed the rufiian, in a complacent manner, as he filled the two tumblers with brandy from the black bottle: “ drink !’—and he emptied one of the glasses at a draught, just as ifit were 3 mere thimble-full of the fiery liquid. “It was a good job, old feller,” he continued, after a short pause, “that you fell in with such a prime chap as I am—or rayther, it was fortnit that I lodgedin the same house, and as I came in heard you moaning and groaning awayin your cellar. It was alsolucky a a - a (C(O)