The Mysteries of the Court of London Vol. 7 — page 61: what you’re looking at

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

a use playing the fool with us: your husband ée in the house—and we must search for him. ‘ a couple of my men at the back part of the pre- misesz and Tom there is keeping the front door. Bo there's mo chance of escape. You had bet- ter—- “Good heavens! what has my poor “husband done ?” exclaimed Mrs. Smedley, as if overwhelmed with grief, “But it is impossible! Jack is as quiet as the child unborn—and a pious man too— gach a plous man ” “Tm sorry to say,” interrupted the detective officer—for such he was—“ that if you don’t really know anything about it already~you've loat your mother.” “My mother!” ejaculated Mre. Smedley, witb a | lery t show of wild astonishment and grief: “ you on’t surely mean that abe. has been tried—-and— and—already—""— * Executed P” esid tha officer, calmly finishing the sentence for Mrs, Smedley, “No—not exactly. Bhe’s cheated the hangman-—~~Ig plain terms, me’am, she poisoned herself inthe middle of last night—your husband took the very Gret train from Liverpool this rnorning—be was telegraphed up— but somehow or another we just now missed him at the Euston Square Station—though we after- wards learnt that such a person did arrive this evening by that particular train. However, we know he must be here.” “My poor mother!” sobbed Mrs. Smedley. “But what could my husband———” } “Have to do with it?” ejaculated the officer. “Why, he gave her the poison as a matter of eourse! Who else could possibly have done it Ff” “Ob, Gir, I can assure you Jack is incapable of sucha thing! He went to Liverpool to see my poor mother—to teach her which was the right path if she had really gone into the wrong one-—-—" “Oome, ma’am-—this gamgon won't do for us. Tom, let another of our, people come in—end you follow me. Sorry to be rude, ma’am--very natural for you to try and screen. your husband—but it won't do. Please to favour us with this light.” Bab Smedley had thrown herself upon a chair, in which she now sate rocking herself to and fro with every semblance of being utterly disconsolate, and likewise as if heediess of the words that were spoken to her. The tall detective took up the candle; and fol- lowed by his man Tom, he passed into the back soom. No che was there. They ascended the ateircase; the upper chambers were sepeedily searched, but still without success. They de- acended: and Bab Smediey joined them in the passage, saying “Well, gentlemen, you see my neband is not in the house: but I almost wish he was, that he might convince you of the error under which you labour ing him. A pipus vessel like him—-s deacon of the Light's Obapel —it is out of the question! . But Pie have behaved so civil in doing duty, had, atep int) ta tatlock for a wich and | gmiall glass of something?” , A minute |” said the tall detective: Sw; place dows stairs, Come along, i, well,” said Bab Gmediey, stil) admirably her presence of mind, sod simulating ne br air of mournfulness in which there was no THE MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. betrayal of anxions apprehension, “you can speedily satisfy yourself in that quarter—end then ‘you shall accept the little t i offer you.” The two datectives descended the stairs,—Bab Smedley follo to procure, as she gaid, two or three more Her conduct appeared so natural—ber part was performed with such con- | summate skill—that the detectives befan really to think ber husband could not‘be any where about the premises; at the same time that they were not the men to be steyed in the process of their investigation by anything which might possibly be an artifice to divert them from the scent. The place which we have described as the seul- , was reached: the detectives passed at once into the front kitchen—but, as the reader may the object of their imagine, without discoveri ned-—- nooks were Oupboards were « search. pryed into—but all in vain. They repassed into the soullery: the huge door communicating with the cellar was opened—the interior was inspected —but no Jack Smedley was there. The two offi- Ceres 6xC quick glances, as much as to imply that the woman had spoken truthfully after all, aud that theirs trouble was vainly taken. “Now, gentlemen,” said Bab—and it was a very anxious moment for the woman—but her inward feelings were not outwardly betrayed; “ you will pewiens come up to the four and have « nice par drop of something warm PF” , “Ina minute, ma’am,” answered the tall de- tective. “But what the deude does a bit of carpet mean in a place like this P”’ , He looked ssarchingly at the goldbeater’s wile as he spoke; and she steadily met that scrutinizing gaze. The next instant he kicked up the carpet with his foot: but the table stood so exactly over the outlines 0° the trap-door that the carpet was not dislodged sufficiently to reveal them. The keen experienced eye of the detective led to the fanoy that he, perceived something like a studied artifice in the arrangement of the kitchen utensils and crockery on the: little deal table; and lifting it up, he removed it away from the middle of the a0 . ‘At the same instant he glanced fur- tively towards the woman: it struck him that for # single moment there was the glitter of uneasiness in her eyes: but if so, that betrayal of her feeling was so transient it could not be regarded as « positive certainty. However, the bit of carpet was now kicked completely away; and the outlines of the trap-door were revealed. “Ab, here is something, Tom!” said the tall detective, stamping with his feet above the mouth of the pit, so that the hollow sound thus produced — the suspicion of the existence of a trap- The next instant it was raised; and at the same moment @ sudden pitate rush, as if of some wild animal, ca the detectives themeelves to lips of the women who until this abrupt ocour- rence had maintained such extraordinary presence of mind was the bleck cat, which bad opme weeping down the stairs with a gushing noize of lightning quickness; and making the circuit of the scullery, the animal whisked up the staircess aguin os if it were witd. <. ! . “That's on omen, I suppose?” said the tell dp start—while a shriek of terror thrilled from the | LOAO© SS (CO)