The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 261: what you’re looking at

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

948 TIVK MYSTERIES, ance of a few soldiers. The New Police were not | that he was backed by half-a-dozen ferocious-look. in existence in those days; and little or no aid| ing men all armed in a formidable style, they was to be expected from the parish constables or | huddled together with mingled cries, and lamen- night-watchmen: the master was therefore com- | tations, and prayers. There was not a moment to pelled to rely upon such resources and means of | lose;—for Melmoth knew fall well that some kind defence as he had at his command upon the spot, | of succour must presently arrive to aid the governor until the soldiery should arrive. of the workhouse in restoring order. He therefore But no sooner had the maniacs done their work | commanded his children to rise— put on their in the kitchen, the bread-store, and the buttery, | clothing—and follow him. Yielding to the voice than Melmoth bade them seize upon the imple- | of paternal anthority, they hastened to obey, but ments which those offices contained, and which | with cruel fear and visible trembling: and despite constituted weapons of a more formidable charac- | of the reassuring words which he now breathed ter than the fire-irons and broom-handles of the | rapidly in their ears, as he assisted them in re- enemy. Thus, when the liberated lunatics sprang | suming their apparel, they contemplated him with up the staircase brandishing roasting-spits, chop- | a terror and a grief that lacerated his very heart. pers, mallets, and carving-knives, the paupers with | Two or three minutes were thus expended ;— the master at their head all took to flight in a} and during that brief interval the maniacs ran- moment ;—and, giving vent to cries of triumph | sacked a cupboard in which a few pots of jam and yells of frenetic joy, the madmen impulsively | and some bottles, each containing a smal! allow- fullowed Melmoth who had now become their | ance of Port wine, were kept for the use of the in- leader. valids. These things were disposed of in a trice ; The hall was in their possession: the front door |—and then the lunatics, inflamed by the wine, led into the street—and the path to liberty thus | began to dance and caper about the room in 2 style lay open and undisputed before them. But Mel- | that would have been grotesque enough, were not moth was anxious to take his children with him: | the presence of these unfortunate wretches so for, even in the wild whirl of his present thoughts | eminently alarming. They however attempted no and the terrible excitement under which he was | injury towards the occupants of the infirmary ;— labouring, he had leisure and the clearness of/ and when Melmoth’s children were ready to take intellect sufficient to comprehend that from this | their departure, they obeyed in a moment the time forth he must expect to be hunted by the | signal which their leader gave them to withdraw. blood-hounds of justice, and he might never find; Down the stairs did the party rush once more,— another opportunity of holding communication | Melmoth holding his little girl by the hand, and with those who were nearest and dearest to him. | his two sons following close behind him. No mo- For an instant he hesitated what course to adopt: | lestation was experienced—no opposition presented the next moment his resolve was taken ;—and | itself. Indeed, the path was as clear for the for- rushing up the staircase leading from the hall to- | midable band as if they were the only inmatés of wards the infirmary, he bade the maniacs follow | the workhouse: for the master and his able-bodied him. Those instincts and impulses which the | paupers did not dare show themselves again—and voice of an angel could not have appeased nor | the soldiery had not as yet had time to arrive tranquillised, were still easy to direct into any par- | from the Tower. The hall was gained—the front ticular channel,—as the torrent, which no mortal| door thrown open — and then, simultaneously arm can stay, will nevertheless pour into the canals | flinging away their weapons, as if an instinctive that are dug to receive its foaming volume and | feeling suddenly prompted them to act with cau- drain the land which it would otherwise inundate. | tion in order to secure their freedom, the lunatics Thus, as man’s ingenuity may turn the course of | rushed into the street. Darting away in different a flood which he is utterly powerless to stop, so | directions, they disappeared in a few moments ;— did the influence of Melmoth guide the movements | and Melmoth, thus rid of their terrible companion- of the maniacs whose progrese and whose fury he | ship, plunged into the maze of dark .and narrow could not possibly have checked even had he been | streets in the vicinage of the old workhouse. so disposed. Taking up the little girl in his arms, he bade the Up the stairs they rushed—uttering frightful | two boys keep close behind him ;—and as they sped yells and giving vent to diabolical menaces,— | along, the kind and consoling words which the brandishing their terrible weapoas with ferocious | unfortunate man addressed to his motheriess chil- gestures—their eyes glaring wildly— their lips | dren, reassured them completely, and made their covered with blood-speckled foam. Doors were | poor hearts rejoice that they were thus restored to banged and barricaded all along the passages; and | the care of their father. from the interior of the rooms the shrieks of frightened women burst forth. But the lunatic — party, headed by its frenzied leader, paused not to . attack those chambers: up the flights of stairs CHAPTER CLELLY, if it were a roaring, raging torrent, dashing open the dvor with an irresistible power. Ir was about nine o'clock on the same evening The invalids gave vent to cries of terror—the | that witnessed the exciting occurrences at White- dranken nurse fell down in a fit—and Melmoth’s | chapel Workhouse; and the scene now shifts to children were startled from the sleep in which they | Paradise Villas. had been plunged. Instantaneously recognising | In the front parlour of their residence Octavia their father, their first impulse was to spring forth | and Pauline Clarendon were seated, in company and fly into his arms: but when they saw that he | with Mr. and Mrs. Page. The curtains were held an enormous steel chopper in his hand and. drawn—the lights were burning upon the table— SS ST lS rs SNESSSESSUSGRSEESSISEESSEINISSDIGSESEENGISANrcEENN. GOH GOO SS