The Mysteries of London, Vol. IV — page 283: what you’re looking at

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

ST A I I LP oh EE ee ee eos 2718 THE 3BYSTERIES or LONDON. morning, then tell Jack Rily he is a fool and in- | picked up some more little stones and hard crusted capable of managing any business whatsoerer.” “J give you all possible credit for sagacity and forethought,” said Mrs. Mortimer, purposely flatter- ing tho ruffian. “ Well, then, the young woman you speak of is placed in a condition which will render her incapable of interfering with our procecdings; and I must personate her for a moment or two, just to obtain admission into the house.” “ Personate her is scarcely tho term, my dear madam,” answered Jack Rily: ‘* because if Vitriol Bob only caught a glimpse of you by the neighbour- ing lamp-light, he would know donced well that it was not the Pig-faced who sought admission. But it is a mere matter of vocal stratagem, if you under- stand me.” “Speak plainly and briefly,” said Mrs. Mortimer, with some degrce of sharpness in her tone, “T will put it all into a nut-sholl,” responded Jack Rily: then, with rapid utterance but impres- sive enunciation, he continued :— The first signal is mado by throwing a little gravel at a certain win- dow; but, as that might bo accidental, it is neces- sary to repeat it at the expiration of a minute or so. In a few seconds afterwards Vitriol Bob will open the front door as far as the chain inside will permit —and that is barely an inch: you must then imme- diately whisper, ‘Jt’s me and the Doctor,’ and tho door will be instantly opened wide, Bob standing behind it. You pass rapidlyin—and I’m at your heels; and as the passage and tho stairs leading down to the kitchen are as dark as pitch, he won’t observo that it is 2of Molly Calvert whom he has admitted into the house. Now, mind, you must walk straight along the passage, and gain the stairs —aund all this without any hesitation, but with an apparont knowledge of the promises, Go rapidly ‘down the stairs, and you will then seca light straight before you. That will be in the front kitchen—and there you are certain to find Torrens. Spring upon him—tackle him desperately: there will not be a minute to lose—because the moment you appear in his presence, he will recognise you—he will uttor a cry—and that must be the signal for tho fight, Vitriol Bob will be just behind me—and-——” “ You will assail him at the instant that I pounce upon Torrens?” said the old woman, with a bitter malignity in her tone, as she already gloated in an- ticipation upon the vengeance which she hoped to wreak upon her husband. ‘* Perform your part, ma’am—do all J have told you,” observed Jack Rily; ‘and leave the rest to me. And now are you ready!” Quite,” was tho reply. “In which direction do wo proceed !” ‘The house is in Stamford Street,’? answered the Doctor. ‘But you had now better follow mo at a short distance.” With these words, the man turned round, and proceeded along the narrow lane into the Black- friars Road, up which he wended his way until he reached the corner of Stamford Street, where he looked back to satisfy himself that Mrs. Mortimer was in his track. He beheld her, by the light of the lamps, at a short distance bohind; and, turning into Stamford Strect, he was duly followed by her. Halting for a moment, ho stooped down, gathered a fow small pebbles from the side of the road join- ing the kerb-stone, and threw them at a window in the area of the dilapidated house which stood third trom the corner He then walked on an few paces, dirt, and turning back, met Mrs. Mortimer just op- posite the house alluded to. The second volley was discharged at the window; and then they both sta. tioned themselves at the door of the tenement, Mrs. Mortimer being placed in the most convenient posi- tion to give an answer to any summons that might issue from within. The door was opened an inch or two; and the old woman, feigning the tone of a younger female, whispered hastily, “It’s me and the Doctor,” Thereupon the chain fell inside, and the door was opened half-way, Vitriol Bob standing bohind it, Mrs. Mortimer passed hastily in, followed by Jack Rily; and Vitriol Bob, closing the door noisolessly, readjusted the chain, “Takeo care, Poll,” he said, in a hoarse and low tono: “don’t be in such a devil of a hurry to get down them stairs—’cos there’s somethink in tho door-way of the kitchen that you might stumble over.” “What is it, Bob?” demanded Jack Rily, hastily; for inasmuch as the real truth flashed to bis mind in an instant, he feared lest Mrs, Mortimer should likewise suspect the fact, and, being thrown off hor guard, betray herself by some sudden exclamation. ‘““Whatis it ?—why, a stiff un,” responded Vitriol Bob, with a chuckling laugh which sounded horri- bly in tho midst of the total darkness that prevailed in the passage and on tho stairs. “I ’spose Poll has lot you into the business, since you’ve como along with her,” continued tho man; “and though I don’t see what right she had to tel] you anythink about it, E ain’t sorry yon have come—’cos you can hetp me to bury the old feller, and you shall haye your reglars.” Mrs. Mortimer now fully comprehended that Torrens had been murdored; and an appalling dread seized upon her—for she felt that she was com. pletely in tho power of two diabolical ruffians, who Were as capable of assassinating her as one had already been to make away with her husband, A faintness camo over hor—and she Stagrered against the wall for support; when Jack Rily, in answer to Vitriol Bob’s last observations, said ‘Oh? Poll didn’t tell moa single word about any business that you had in hand: but as I met her quite by accident and suspected sho was coming here, I forced myself, as one may Say, upon her company—for I thought you'd be glad to see an old pal, if you was under a cloud,” These words instantaueously re-assured Hrs, Mortimer. Sho comprehended that hor confederate had uttered them, too, for that purpose; and it flashed to hor mind that ho only wanted to get Vitriol Bob down into the lower part of the houso in order to make an attack upon him. Sho ac. cordingly recoverod her self-pessession, and rapidly groped her way tc tne bottom of tho stairs, when a feeble light, glimmering from tho kitchen, showed her a sinister object lying just inside the threshold, The blood ran cold in her veins: for, much ag she had hated Torrens—anxiously as sho had longed to be avenged upon him—profoundly as she abhorred the tie that to some degree had linked their fates, sho nevertheless felt horrified at the convic- tion that the murdered man lay there~in her very path! " Nevertheless, sho still maintained her courage as woll as she could, and, hastily passing tho Jifeless form, entered the cheerless, gloomy kitchen, whiok ¢ a a 5} (CO) GIOOKS (CO) =