The Mysteries of the Court of London Vol. 4 — page 152: what you’re looking at

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

— ed ane Ee ai | | | | | ! | | ! | | a “a eee eee ee ee ee 2 eee ee eee ee ws nh RN PP aS er ac gn Pe AF Ba, ——- 22s w= = &a ae ; . THE MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. . 130 genticman of your intelligence and-business-habite | “I have succeeded, sir, in every quarter,” replied could uot be involved in serious difficulties.” Theodore, “and have collected the several items “Of caurse not !—the ‘ives would be ridicu'ous | upon this list. Here are three handred and seventy indeed {” exclaimed Emmarson, laughing—but it | pounds in all.” : was a hollow and unnatural “aagh, the laugh of | “Good !” exclaimed. Iemmerson, scarcely able to desperation! “But 1 tell you what we had better { conceal his joy: and he felt at the moment that even do, Mr. Variau,” he alinost immediately continged ; {in the midet of the most desperate circumstances, “you shall Jo round cullecting the suagll sums j there may be yet a gleafa of hope and a equrce of that are due, and J will get fo the large amounts. | cheerfulness. I think in the course of the day we may manage! Having counted the money, he placed it in his to do this; and then we shall be able to’make up | pocket, observing with an apparent off-hand manner our honks so ag to ee correctly how matters | ‘that he himself had been very lucky apd had col- stand and settle the liubilities that are most pross- | iected a few thousands.” He then entered his inoer ing. And then,” added Emmerson, aseuming au | office—sate down—and began to reflect profoundly air of proud assyrance, which heaven knows he did jaspon an idea which within the Jast hour or two had not feel io his heart, “I shall get aloan of twenty | been gradually expanding itself as it were fa his or thirty thou-and from my bankers to answer my | mind. purposes until other monies begin to flow in agala.” {| And what was the subject of his thoughts——that “If you will give maa list, sir, of the perpons subject which ‘had now become all-absorbing and who owe sinall sums, I will go round at once,” said | all-engrossing as he sate ‘with. bis elbows resting Varian. ° upon the table and his hands supporting his head? ‘“‘ Here is a list which I have already made out,” | He had made up his mind to Gy from England; said Emmerson: and he handed his clerk a piece | aud he had procured the means of doing so. In a of paper. few hours he meant to be off In a word, he had Theodore then salliod forth, fuwardly chuckling {| resolved upon bidding farewell to Eagland for ever. at the thought that the hour of his vengeance | Then why depart with barely four hundred pounds was approaching: for he had not the slightest jin hig pocket? What a beggarly amount-—hiat a d tliculty in penetrating the design of his master. | wretched sum—for a man who had been acoustomed Qu the contrary—he saw plainly enough that | to command the use of thousands! Could he not Emmerson was eudeavouring to “make upa purse” | by some meang treble or quadruple the sum whith wherewith to flee from the country; and he re- | he hadin his possession? Yes—-theré wag a method solved to apply the spark to the train of combus- | which he might adopt; and this was by means of a tibles that were now ready to explode aroand him} forgery ! : Mr."Erameraon also sailied forth—but it was nof,} Such was the idea on which Emmerson now pon- ae he had alleged, to, collect any large suras. Hej dered. He examined the matter in all ite bearings wished to Ir@yen ghat there were any sitch eums | —~weighed ita chances of success—caleulated ail which he was able to collect at all! But he went | the risks of discovery. Well doca the proverb tay forth to keep up appearances with Varian, axl like- | that “the man who deliberates is lost.” Whenever wise to avoid the duns who were calling every | an evil idea enters the head, if the individual have quarter of an hour at his office. In his desperation, | not the courage to seize it by the neck at once as he however, lie resolved aa @ last resource to call upon | would a snake that turned to bite him, he is led by two or three wealthy friends with whom he bad been | an invisible fascination to look ast it in the face— accustomed to have large transactions, bat whom he | examine it-—reflect upon it--and suffer it to haunt . now found inaccessible to hig demands and his re- | him until it becomes his mastgr at last. $o was it presentations. Vainly edid be assure them thet | with Emmerson: and haying thus yielded to the “thera was a most excellent opportunity of inveat- | influence of bis iniquitous promptings, he proceeded ing a few thousands at twenty per cent., if they liked | with careful deliberation to execute the crime. to go shares with him in the enterprise and advance} A bill of exchange, payable at twenty-one days a part of the capital.” ‘hey refused him in 2] after date, .was duly drawn up by his experienced manner which as plainly as possible told him | had; and acrosa it he forged the names of a large that they would not entrust their funds in his} irading frm with whom he had had many previous hands; and though he endesvoured,to ride the high | transactions and whose respectability was sufficient horse, he nevertheless went forth from their count- | to render the bill easy of negotiation. [t was for ing-houses crest-fallersand downecnst. | the amount of fifteen hundred guineas, and looked He returned to bis office at about four o'clock, | altogether in Emmerson’s estimation as genuine and found that Varian had already comeback. Yeaja ducoment as ever was presented for digng —the young man had been there alone for the! But nevertheless, the moment. he had put the. » ber , 16, last half-hour, having sent the boy out upon goute | ing atrake te the forgery, he felt « strange gente ion pretence: and during this half-hour he had pro- | pase over him, as if his position, bag sired all in cured from Emmeteon’s desk the document which | a moment, and bid as it was atin. bad pow hegome he had promised to dollvet into the hands of. the | ten thoussnd fimen worsp, Rive palsutas hack, and Earl of Cursop. But et the. moment when Em it wae merely the Bankruptey Court and the King’s mersowreturved, Theodore was seated at his nauat | Renoh that threatened him4 ape he bad laid him- place in the front office, attending to his business self open to the Old Batley and iéwaate ! Aye, with a placid and calm demeancur, as if nothing tine ‘and this wae ngt all—for with the mere fact of uaval had*happened anid nothing of an exciting cha- | tracing those few black fines upon a slip of paper, racter was poingon. ,° * ' the still blacket spare of the gibbet had suddenly Maa PES Fe EEE a Well, what luck!” inquired Eumeraon, affeet-} started up betore his view! ing an ai of indifference, though all his plans de- pended upoy Varian’s answer, eine Vachs pst _ But Emmerson, was nos the man to be deterred by mere imaginary terrors from his purpose. He CONNIE OOO cS) CO