The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 116: what you’re looking at

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THR MYSTERIES OF THE COUET. 108 bell has just rung. Go, mother, quick—and see what he wante!?" oS Mrs. Webber accordingly bustled up the flight of steps; and having rémained absent for five minutes, she re-appeared in the scullery. © He bas made up his mind to leave,” she said, in a mysterious whisper, and with still more omi- nously mysterious looks. “He says he shall the day after to-morrow—and he asked if I could t somebody who might bé trusted to deliver p etter to-morrow———""" SO “To be sure!” interjected the Burker, with a significant leer. eh said yes, of course?” =“ “Of course J did!” responded the old woman, almost indignantly, as if she thought that if was an insult to doubt the nature of the reply she had given. “Who knows but that the letter ma be a full confession of all the wrong he has done Perhaps it will be to the people he has robbed: for that he has done something of the sort, there can’t be the slightest uncertainty. © o 8 = “Not a bit of it!” said Bab assentingly. “But under present circumstazices, wé won't do anything to-night: we will wait till to-morrow night. “We will read the letter that he wants to send; and maybe it will put him so much in our power that we may be able to make him give up to us all he has got, and so save iis the necessity of———you know what:”—and with s darkly sinister look, she glanced down to that part of the floor where ° the table stood upon ¢ mall square picop of J get. Phyo,” eid tho Burker, “that’s tho post plan, If as how we can get it by fair means, well’ and good: and if not, thes———” oe And lifting up his club, he shook it in a signifi- cant manner, his countenance at the same time becoming so diabolically ferocious thaf even his accomplices in crime could not prevent themselyes from shuddering. “That place hag seep one go down,’ observed Jack Smedley ; “and yay be it will pee another before we are much older” © = ‘“'Yes—you and me have done a jiftle business together in our time, Jack,” responded the Burker, as if the antecedents just alluded to were a subject for satisfactory ret ion. “ So, may our friend- ship never be. leas No On with this fee an Lee the r n to his accomplices as he raised the glass to hislip. MIphpes as he rau Good heavens! tha$ the burning alcohol did not choke the miscreant whose tongue had thus im- piously perverted the sacred name of friendship, and had made it the illustration of his own horri- ble ideas of fellowship and intimacy. For it was a frightful friendship, if the word can be so used, which linked him with that man and with those two women—a friendship which held them together or two for the sake of crimes the darkest and the deepest | ’ -——@ termble intimacy, that was cemented with blood—a fellowship such as that which may be supposed to prevail in pandemonium! Yet those wretches dared look each other in the face; and if frivuttal them chuddered for an instant at the tful expression which appeared upon the countenance of the fourth, it was not that they were stricken with remorse for past misdeeds, nor with loathing for their associate—but merely that there was an instinctive recoil from a physical ugliness which the reflex of a blood-stain soul at! the instant rendered intolerable for any eyes to ge upon. | “ Ah! it’s an uncommon convenient place—isn’t it, Barney P” observed Jack Smedley, after a pause which had followed the ruffian’s sentiment: and the gold-beafer, as he thus spoke, looked down upon the drugget as his wife had previously done. ) go on in London! Who “Now, what things would suspect” “Don’t be 90 silly, Jack,” interrupted Bab. “One would think you were going to moralize on. the secrets that this house could reveal if it liked. I am always afraid of your tongue——” | " © No—you needn’t be afeard,” interrupted the Burker. ‘“ I've knowed Jack Smedley long enough to'be sure that he’s as downy ag the knocker at Newgate, and as safe and tight as the stone-jug ftsolt Why, let me sep—it’s a matter of ten year you've been in this house—and you’ye kept up e good name the whole time.” : “It was my dodge, the joining in with the chaps next door!” observed Smedley, with a triumphant grin expanding over his ‘mean-looking counte- nance: “and let me tell you it’s the very best dodge that ever wag. They take mo for as énivelling and sanctimonioys. fellow as them- selves.” ee ee : _“ To be sure they do!” ejaculated Barney: “and it’s a dodge you must keep up. I thought of taking to if myself—only when J peep in the glass, can’t bring my mind to the belief that my looks is the wery best that’s suited for putting on a psalm-singing mug. No—that gammon won’t do for me: I must stick fo what Jam. Besides, I shall make summut of them fwo §cotts soon. But FI fel} you what’s wanted.” * And what’s that P” inquired Bab Smedley. “Just to Jook on such a business as we may perhepe haye here to-morrow night,” answered he Burker. Ss There’s no use for chaps like the Scotts to think of launching theirselves regular in the profession till they’ve seen summut of that sort. They’ve got mischief enow in’em: but they want hardenin’. J understand it right well enow. I know what human nature is. One must be deep in for it, ag the sayin’ is, before one is at all times ready to go the whole hog. The feelin’s must be plunted. Bless you! it’s experience as does it all. Why should we be a sitting here and talking so cool over a jittle affair of this sort, if we hatin't mné through it all afore To be sure not!’—and as if to clench the argument, the Burker again struck his fist forcibly upon the e ¢ Hush |” caid Bab Smedley: “not go loud} he old man up-stairs may hear you.” | _ “T suppose he hasn’t no suspicion?” asked “Not » bit!” pjacylated Mrs. Webber. Ho fakes me for a nice, j-natyred, comfortable stron that tries to do all she can for him; and he thinks that Jack is everything that all the neighbours think him. As for Bab, he one day paid to me that my son-in-law ought tp be proud of such @ fine handsome wife——” And so he ought!” exclaimed Mrs. Smedley, finging upon her husband a look which was as much as to reproach him for not glorifying him- gelf sufficiently in the possession of his sponse. * Well,” said the Burker, “I think I'll be jog- (GO) an (C DOO Col