The Mysteries of London, Vol. IV — page 388: what you’re looking at

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

re ee oe ee WHE RYSTERIES oF LONDON, 383 ee 6 oe Se se “Well, it is quite an age since 1 saw you last!”| me. Besides, seeing mo with a new suit of clothes, exclaimed the Doctor, as soon as his visitor was Keated, Still drudging on at old Heathcote’s ?” “Just the same—or rather worse,” was the reply. “Ym sorry to hear that,’? observed the Doctor. Come, help yourself. But how camo you to find me out in my new quarters 2” “I was passing by hero yesterday to serve a writ upon a poor devil in this strect,” answered Mr. Green, “aad I twigged you at the window. You didn’t see me: but I made up my mind to give you a call—and so here I am.” “And I feel devilish glad to see you,” responded Jack Rily. ‘You may observe that my circum- stances have improved a trifle or so, of late.” “Ah! I wish to heaven that mine would show any proof of amendment,” said Green, with a pro- found sigh, as he helped himself to a tumbler of brandy-and-water. “I made a couple of hundred pounds the other day—it was an affair of giving in- formation about a lunatic-asylum in which Heath- cote had locked up his own brother;—and because I treated myself to this new suit of clothes,’ he added, glancing down at his dress, “ the old villain declared that I must have robbed him to procure the money. Oh! how I long to be revenged on that manly “Well, I don’t suppose it’s so very difficult,” observed Rily: “at least I should think, from al) you have told me at different times, that you know enough about him to make him quake in his shocs,” “Yos--yes—but—then,” stammered the clerk, with the hesitation of one who longs to open his heart to another, yot shrinks from the avowal of a villany even to the ears of a villain. “ But what?” demanded tho Doctor, rolighting his pipo. “If you’ve come to consult me, then out With everything at once. Do nothing by halves, old fellow—I never do.” “Well, you see—the truth is—-that—I—I am in the man’s power—completely in his power,” re- sponded Green: “and now he’s making my life so wretched—oh! so wretched, that I think of run- ning away to America with my two hundred pounds, But then I know that he would more heaven and earth to find me out; he would adver- tise me—give a description of my person—swear that I had robbed him, or something of that kind; —anything, indeed, would ho do to revenge him- self upon me. ILeis one of those despicable cha- racters that cherish the bitterest—the most fiend- liko malignity.” “And what is he doing to you now?” de- manded Jack, smoking his pipe at his ease while his friend was thus pouring forth-his complaints. ‘What doesn’t he do, you should rather ask me,” exclaimed Green, in a tone of mingled rage, hate, and despair. “As I just now told you, he put his brother Sir Gilbert into a lunatic asyluni, in the hope of getting into his own hands the management of all the baronet’s property—and coubtless in the expectation likewise that grief would send’ the unfortunate gentlemun to his last home. Well, Sir Gilbert eseaped-—” “Through your connivance, eh?” interrupted the Doctor, with a knowing chuckle. “Yes—with my connivance,” responded Green; “and it is the suspicion of this fact that makes Ivatkcote so intolerable in his conduct towards “What have you been doing with yourself ? he swore that if I had not robbed him I must have been bribed to give information rolative to tho place where his brother was confined. It was all in vain that J rominded him of my salary being quite sufficient to keep mo in decent attire v “Why, don’t you sce,” again interrupted tho Doctor,— when once a man has got a certain sus- picion into his head, he won’t very easily part with it. He cherishes it—feeds upon it—sleeps upon it ~—dreams of it, just as 2 young girl does of her first love.’’ “Y suppose that this must be the case,” said Green. “ Atallevents, I have been made so miser- able by Heathcote for tho last few days, that it was like a ray of hope when I saw you at the window of this room yesterday; and I dotermined to come and chat with vou over the matter,” “ And yet I don’t sce very well how I can assist you, Since you declare that you aro completely in ILeathcoto’s power,” observed Jack Rily. “But you must tell mo every thing.” ‘‘Well—there’s no use in denying, then, that IIeathcote can transport mo if he chooses,” said Green. “ Some years ago I—I—committed~a—a forgery : “Oh! that’s nothing,” exclaimed Jack, assuming a consolatory tone. “ But go on.” ‘Nothing do you call it!” cried the clerk, look- ing apprehensively around him, as if he were fear- ful that the very walls hud cars. “In a month’s time a thousand pounds must be forthcoming—oz I shall bo transported. Up to this time IIcatheote has ali along given mo to understand that he will replaco the money for mc: but this business of his brother’s escape and two or three other matters that have gono wrong with him lately -———” “T understand you,” said Jack Rily: “ they have put the kyebosh upon it.” “The what?” demanded Green, unskilled in slang phrases, “Put a stopper on tho affair, T mean,” explained the Doctor, whom an idea had struck while his com- panion was talking; and this idea was that Mr, Green might. be made instrumental in procuring cash for a considerable portion of the Bank- notes, “JY am indeed afraid that Ieathcote will not assist me,” pursued the wretched clerk; “and if lie docs not, I chnnot say what will become of me. In fact there is no use in buoying myself up with the hopo that Ileathcote will do any thing for me: ho himself has lost moncy lately in several ways— and morcover his temper is terribly soured by this affair about his brother.” “Ts Sir Gilbert taking steps to punish him, then?” asked Jack. “Oh! no—lie is too generous and too forgiving in his disposition,” replied Green: “but he has com. pelled the two surgeons who signed tlie certificate of insanity, to give him a counter-declgration—and indeed 2 confession to the effect that they wero bribed to sign the document on the strength of which lie was placed in the mad-house. There is consequently the danger of all this becoming known; and Heathcote, finding his reputation to be hanging to a thread, has grown as it were des- perate,—not caring what may happen to himself— still less what may befall me.” “T should think, then, thatif you had a thousand pourds, yon would fancy yourself a very lucky peri ere pre (C(O) (C DOO <S LL (SO)