The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 131: what you’re looking at

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

his ‘THE MYSTERIBG. mind previously attenuated by ber own harrowing thoughts and desponding reflections, she. naturafly becaine an easy prey to the dominion of that hor- tible superstifjops alarm which seized upgg all the rest. “By God!” exclaimed’ Bass, “I would sooner walk about the streets all bight than run the risk of encountering the Vampyre in a lodging-houge.” While he was yet speaking, the deor of the réom was opened; and some one entered.’ “Vampyre!” cried the new-comer, cosing the door behind him—and it was the voice of a man that thus spoke : “.who the devil is talking of Vampyres ? —and what do you know of them ft” But at that same instant an ejaculation burst from the lips of some female in the room ;—and then all was still. “What was that?” said: Job Minks, after a pause, during which the silence of the tomb had prevailed. “It was some woman frightened by oj@ Tiddley- wink’s description of the Vampyre,” observed one of the occupants of the chanpber. “Well, it struck me to be rather acry of joy at something or another,” said the ex-schoolmaster: “though what anybody could have to rejoice at in such a place and at this hour, I cannot well under- stand. But who is the new-comer? Let lim an- nounce himeelf in a proper manner: for it has bee come necessary to.take all kinds of preeautiens in respect to strangers.” “ Well,” said the voice of the individual who had just entered; “you may call me Toby Firebrand —for that’> the name I’m koown by amongst my pals, But how the devil am I to grepe. my way th a mattress ?” “There's none in this: part-of.the-room,” said Buss. “ Nor yet here,” added Job Minks. “And there isn’t a hair’s-breadth of space to spare in this corner," exclaimed the ex-sebvol-’ master, “Ah! I sappose you take me fer the Vampyre you were all tajkiug about when I entered the chamber a minute ago said the new-comer, with a mocking laugh, “ But what wade the old land. lady assure me that there was plenty of. reom in this ciainber? It go and nbake herwefand me my halfpeuce and then take myselfeffte another place. So good night to ye all#’ - And with these words the indivi@ual who bad announced himself as Toby Firebrand, took his departure, slamming the door ‘behind Rim. The noise recalled Mrs. Melmoth ¢q ber senses : for she it was who had piven atéeerense to that ejaculation which followed the emtranes of .Teby Fireyrand—angd she had fainted immediately after- wards. Collecting her scattered ideas as well ag she was able, she atruve to ascertain whether @ eertain imp pression which was uppermost in her mind was.e feature in a troubled dream -or a-fagt whieh bad really occurred. “That voice—éurely & was Melmoth’e?” she said to herself a hundred times.in.a gaimate: ang then, as the whole eonversaties whieh she bad overheard respecting the Vaapyre-can back te her memory, the very werds whieh Toby Fire- brand bad uttered likewise flashed te her reeal- oa. “ Vampore./— whe tha:davil. is talking of: Van. pyres 3—and. bat do you bnow. of thon?” ¥es~-these.weve. tha weeds-he had spapkeas—and if she could thus.recell chem so aconrately ta her mind, and # they co eloesly connected themeaiges with the peeviens eanversatien, she falt. eae well aseured that the impressian left upoe her brain was no delusian,. And this impoession was that the naw-comer wes none other than her hasband-—-that bushand was had been a@ ruthlessly. tom from her by the ses- potic authority of the Home Office, .aad whos she supposed to be far away! Oh! if it were indeed he—if it ware really hia voice which she had heard, and which had suddenly sapaded like . weloome musie.to hes ear through the deep dark- ness of the night.ard the hot atmosphere of thas miserable chamber,—if, in fine, the fagher of . per ,mendicant children wes agtually rastezed, to her, aad wes thase~in that very room—perhaps close by her side-~rat..all enamts not mauy feet digtant from the conues where she lay crouched up,—oh ! if this were indeed the case, what happiness new awaited her ! So powerfully wrought were her feelings a9 thee thoughts traversed her mind, that she eauid mot immediately give ubtesance te the quastion whigh her lips nevertheless strove hard to breathe, . ¥er she knew net that during she brief interval of her uncenseciousmess, the man whose yoige alirited that ejacalaties of joy:from. har tongue, bad takeu bis departure te. seek some other lodging tyr. the night. “ Melmotlh ?—dees.asy one answer tu the name of Melmoth?” she at length inquired, in a falterq ing tone and with deep suspense. at the hearh But no ome replied to the query. “Who are you aakieg for, my goad. -wamean ?” said the ex.schepimasiar, afier. a lope panse. “* Dheve doesn’t appear. te be apy perou.vl sugh a. name iu-the plase:” “Bat that maa-emho came ia just now—as the moment when yeu were all diseourmiug on a fright. ful topic?” olserved : Mea, Melinvty,. in a haljr utee wiles aad with isreel, palpivsivns, of the, eart, “ Oh! he wentaway immadintely -agpin,| sabe DAL, the ex-schealmanter. “ He ssil his pape was Tyby Visebraad-nand 26 thasp wasa’t roum for bip. iy, this place, he sack hin. departure.” Mos. Melmot said mothing: more: ber faglings were suffocatiagmfor sesresly had a,g)eam pl-boye flashed athwart the glegm of her prespacta, wise it disappeared in ap imatant, Bit at the acxt me. ment she was aopegied, gad indesd chppred by ths versembeanes that har dushend was at all events in, London: for that it was Ads voice which she had heard, she felt convinced, Not ones. did sha clone her exes .in slamber phat sight ;—end so sann.es the fines, solijary and wisn, ‘dsawa giwmering.of day stole intg the chamber, she aramsed ber children from their sleep. Then in. their cars dai she. whiaper the glad tidings that theix father. weasratemmed and Uaas they oe to.sce bigs sggny—and jt was thasafere with heares sham nepal shes, they all sallied forth. the lowlodgingrbques te wander abaph the mpixo- polis in eneneh of a bysbagd ead a parent. ars ecomilcooolks