The Mysteries of the Court of London Vol. 4 — page 215: what you’re looking at

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’ ee a a a a I re een a ee a 202 THE MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. ee a accidepts, murders, and suicides, there was ‘a tolerably good harvest to be reaped in this way throughout the year. Having arranged their tackle, they proceeded to jray in the usual manner; and in a few minutes they brought up a dead body. “Why, this is good luck indeed!” said Kobolt, as they drew the corpse under the jetty. “Now then, Walden, you be off aad get down the cart.” “All right,” said the individual thus addressed ; and away he sped. " Come, I don’t like to be idle,” said Kobolt to Hernani: “/et us have another throw. Not that it is at all likely we shall get a second bite to our hooks on this occasion———" . “Why not?” asked the Italian. “It's all a chapter of accidents; and in the same way that for wecka together we have fished every night without dragging up anything, so have we also now and then got a couple of bites on the 8ame night. Come, let us go and drag the other side.” Having despojled the corpse of the money and watch in the pockets, and taken a ring from the finger, —congratulating themselves at the same time upon the value of the booty,—the two men passed under the pie., and proceeded to fling their tackle on the side which they now reached, Good luck again attended them; and in’ a few minutes they brought another corpse to the shore; Their savage joy was now indeed great, the more so as this one likewise had gold in ita pockets, a watch and chain in the fob, and a couple of rings on the fingers. But while they were yet despoiling it, the mist was swept somewhat away by one of those sudden squalls whieh often gush over the surface of Lake Leman; and the moonbeams poured full Jown upon the face of the dead. ° }jaculations of amazement buret simultaneously from the lips of the two fishers of men, as they at once recognised that countenance! “Tt is Smith, the Englishman!” said Kobolt. “And look—murder has beon done—his shirt-front ia stained with blood. See—it is not siime—and the water has not washed it out. Ah! the blood is evi- dvatly flowing still ;‘and the corpse 1s as fresh as it can be. Why, this must have been done within an hour!” : .“ Come, don’t Jet us stand dallying here,” growled Hernaui; “but drag the body underneath the pier until the cart comes.” This they did; and then, as their curiosity was now acutely sharpencd, they drew forth the other corpse just far enough into the meonlight to enable them to examine 1t closely. T:3eia* astonishment was enhanced even into dismay on at once recog- nising the other Englishman, whom they knew by the name of Thompson, and who it was evident had likewise been murdered. But the Jatter had been shot through the head; for the mark was upon the brow, where the bullet had entered, and the sku]] was shattered where it had passed out again. * Some fearful work has been done here this eycuing,” said Kobolt. “ What can it all mean ?— how can it be ?” “I suppose,” replied Hernani, “that if we were to stand here conjecturing for a month we should not find ont. But when J come to think of i, we ought to» be grateful to those who have done the deed: for in a very httle tune it has put @ leand,ome bvoty in our way.” “Hush! J hear footsteps advancing,” suddenly ejaculated Kobolt. _ = Then, having hastily dragged back the corpse of Malpas under the pier, they peeped “orth from behind the massi¥e and crowded piles. The moon- light was still pouring down upon the scene ; and they were thus enabled to observe a female forin approaching the spot. The rays ‘ell upon the woman's countenance as she glanced quickly around in every direction; and as the keen eyes of Kobolt recoguised her, he whispered to his comrade, “It is one of the old ladies belonging to the villa, that we carried off to Lausanne.” “Perhaps then,” immediately suggested Her- nani, alao in a whisper, “she has had something to do with this murder of the very two men who employed us on that night—the occasion you speak of.” “ Well, we have got nothing to do with all that,” said Kobolt. “ Let us speak to her.” They accordingly issued forth from beneath the pier and accusted Mrs.’ Ranger—for she it was. instantaneously recognizing the two men, she at once told them it was they of whom she was in search. Kobuolt laconically asked what she wanted ; and she without much circu.niocution proposed to them a certain thing, backing her explanation with the promise of a large reward. The amount thus named‘was tempting in the extreme; and the villains were not Jong in closing with her. As a matter of course she said nothiug relative to the murders which the fishera of men had just dis- covered at the jetty—for the simple reason that she knew vaught about then: and they did not think it worth while to intimate the subject to her, although in their own minds they fe't pretty well convinced she was no stranger to the two dark deeds. In this surmise, however, they were utterly wrong, as the reader is already aware. The interview between Mrs. Range» and the two fishers of men did not occupy a quarter of an hour. Where the employer in a proposed crime is ovol, collected, and determined, and the empleyed are willing, bribeable, and ready, there is no ueed of many words. Thus was it that the bargain was soon made: an earnest of the price was placed in Kobolt’s hand—a full understanding as to the mode of procedure was entered into~and Mrs. Nabper sped back to the villa, muttering to her- self, “The remedies I am adopting are desperate : vut the position in which I am placed is also des- perate. Murder niust secure my impunity—and murder will do it!” Thus congratulating herself on the means she had devised and was prepared to carry out, the harridan re-entered the royal dwelling. CHAPTER CLXII. THE DISSECTING BROOM. It wos about ha'f-past eleyen on this memorable night, and Dr. Maruvelli was seated alone in his little parlour opening from the hall. Loftus was ia his own chamber, pondering upon the plans which he was putting into execution, and settling in ha mnind as to the exact details of the course which he should pur-ue when the three sitters were to make their appearance af midnight, Fe a i i a i ECOMNIE OG O) cS) CO