The Mysteries of the Court of London Vol. 7 — page 186: what you’re looking at

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

EE a A Pa I Ne a I Tees A ena a eS Sew age ee See os yg Ss ener errr eee SS TS pp ee eS EP e eee ee Uy ee ee oe Oe eee eee eee THE MYSTERURS OF THR COURT. ewe ot— ie CEE wain—you came shortly after — you both bewil- dered and confused me—I scarcely knew how to act 98 “Ah! ha!” said Mr. Fossilton: “I begin to understand! So the real mummy—my mummy— is in that glase case after all P”’ “Yes—and you may take it away with you at once!” aaid Bealby: “the cart is at the door. Stop !—there’s noweed to go peeping through the baise! Here's your twenty pounds—examine the mummy as much as you like when you get it home at your own house—consult all your friends—and if I have deceived you, tell me I’m arogue. But if not, send me the money by post—or by hand— or bring it to me anything you like, only be quick and let us make an end of the business !” Mr. Fossilton evidently thought this a very fair, candid, and straightforward proposal. He there- fore took back the bank-notes from Mr. Bealby— and said, “ Well, I accept the arrangement. You know I am a man of honour: if the mummy suits, I will pay you.” “ Good!" ejaculated Mr. Bealbys “ that will do. I mean to accompany you to your own hayse, just to see the case safely delivered, and assure myself that there is no farther accident. Have the kind- ness to call over the landing for Mary, thut she may bid the carter come upand help me down with the package.” " Mr. Fusailton did as he was desired; and Mr. Bealby, hastily approaching the case, whispered through the hole in the glass lid, “It is all right!” ‘So much the better,” within. Bealby gave a last look, but a careful and scru- tinizing one at the green baize and the cordage, to assure himeelf that the box was completely enve- loped in the wrapper. A few moments afterwards the man whose cart had been hired by Ben Limber, madhis appearance intheroom. He wasa strong buxy fellow; and by his stalwart limbs, his broad shouldefs and capacioue chest, seeméd quite capable of carrying the package without any assistance. Therefore, when Mr. Bealby lent his succour, the carter did not complain of the weight, although the Burker was assuredly not the lightest individual in existence. “You sce,” said Bealby, as they descended the stairs, “the box containing this mummy is lined with tin,—which makes it heavy; for I don’t sup- poss the mummy itself weighs above half a dozen pounds, wrappers and all.” “Lord bless you, sir! the weight’s nothing,” re- sponded the carter. “If you worked in Common Garden, as I do, and had to carry a vaggin-load of taters, or cabbages, or what not, upon your shoulders at times when unloadin’ the market-oarts, you wouldn’t talk about this here package being heavy.” “Well, Iam glad you do not complain,” said Mr. Bealby; “and if you are very careful in the business, and don’t disturb this green baize at all, or let the air get into the box, you shall have an extra crown for your trouble.” This assurance greatly delighted the carter; and he resolved by his carefulness to win the present which, was thus promised. The front door was opened: the crowd had by this time dispersed, with the impression that there was nothing more to growled the Burker from CET! Te 173 Naame eee eer ce ET a eae eae ED crepe tata aeeatatan see; and Mr. Bealby had the supreme satisfaction of beholding the package safely consigned to the cart. “Do you mean tu go with us?” he hastily de. manded of Mr. Fossilton. “To be sure!” responded the archmologist, who would not for the world lose sight of the precious object which had already cost him so much trouble, “Then jump up! be quick about it!” said Mr. Bealby; “and let us be off—or else we shall have more loiterers collecting in the hope of beholding another accident.” “ The cart drove away: and Mr. Bealby began to breathe more freely. He had succeeded in gettin the Burker out of hie house; and this was a mést important achievement after all the adverse circum- stances which hed occurred. For he knew perfeotly well that if it were discovered that he had har- boured the escaped murderer, he would have drawn down upon his own head the vengeance of the law. How the Burker might presently extricate himself from the embarrassing position in which he would be placed, when a ene should proceed to take off the green baize wrapper,—was a subject of come parative indifference with Mr. Bealby: for he was resolved in his own mind not to return to his lodging until by some means or another he should be satielied that thé adventure issued in a way which was not likely to compromise himeelf. Mr. Fossilton's house in Tavistock Square was reached in safety. The old gentleman was a bache- lor: he kept but two servants,—onoe being a cook, who was more ancient, more blind, and more deaf then himself—the other being a country girl who acted as housemaid, and who being inexperienced in London life, was devoid of any impertinent curi- osity. There was a side-entrance td Mr. Fossilton’s abode; and it was here that the cart halted. *° The | package was safely conveyed into a room on the | ground floor, which sewed as the archmologist’s museum: the carter was liberally remunerated according to promise—Mr. Bealby lost not an in- stant in taking himself off—and Mr. Fosdilton was naw left alone with the baise-covered package, which had been deposited upon tho floor in the middle of the room. First of all locking the door, so that he might not be distyrbed by the entrance of any of those archmological friends who were in the habit of fre- quently dropping in to disouss the very interesting and useful subjects to which they so wisely devoted the whole attention and business of their lives,— Mr. Fossilton tuok a knife and proceeded deli- berately to out the cords which retained the green baize so closely wrapped round the gless case. Tien he took a pair of scissors, and began to cut away the green baise from the top; because, inasmuoh as it was folded two or three times round the case, he would have had to lift the case itself to remove the baise unless he adopted this shorter and easier plan of cutting its He was very careful in the operation, for fear of breaking the glass lid: and, as the reader will comprebend, when he bad cat one fold lengthways, he had to do precisely the same to each successive layer of the enveloping cloth. Proceeding thus deliberately, Mr. Fossilton did not choose to take a peep into the ease until the proper moment ahould arrive, when he could at qpe embrace the entire contents thereof. He did not wish to anticipate the pleasure which he flattered ECOMRniclacae SS (CO)