The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 383: what you’re looking at

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el THE MYSTERIRAG 373 etruck with consternation, horror, aud disgust. Oh! then—Oh! then, how my heart bounded within me, as if a source of enjoyment at once the most savage and the most ecstatic were now open 4 my comprehension! I had longed,—nay, more —I had resolved to strike terror into the heart of seciety—to startle it with stupendous dlarms—to dig the pit of hell at its very feet—to outrage all its decencies and violate all its proprieties! Such was my determination—and now I had discovered the means of cargying that resolve into execution. War, war, to the knife against that society which 4uras men into monsters and goads the best inten- tioned individuals to desperation :—war, war to the death against that society which is composed of selfishness, heartlessness, and injustice! Such was my motto: and all my veins thrilled with delight as, eue after another, innumerable means of carry- ing on that war presented themselves to my imagi- nation. It was the war of one poor outcast against the whole aggreg.ite of society: but I vowed that the war should be terrible nevertheless! And the aneans to which I have alluded ?—the ideas which suggested themselves to my brain?—that brain which hell seemed to fertilise at the moment! ‘Oh! these means, I say, were ample—and I daughed inwardly with a savage triumph as I re- eapitulated them in detail! There was the dese- oration of the graves of the dead—there was incen- diarism in the country—there was the assassina- tion of solitary way-farers in lonely parts—there was the throwing of vitriol in the faces of passers- by—there was——” “ Enough+senough !” cried Meagles, starting from his seat: “I can hear no more!”—but al- -maost instantaneously resuming his place, he said 4a a tone so altered that it showed how powerful was the effect which a second thought had pro- daced upop his mind, “And yet I will hear you '. tg the end. Proceed—and once more J demand .- your pardon for this interruption.” ‘ ‘“ Well, I will continue, then,” said Melmoth, _ after a few moments’ hesitation. “The thoughts _ aad reflections of which I have been speaking, prepared me for the pursuance of that campaign , which I bad commenced id Old St. Pancras . Charchyard; and I resolved to camulate horror .-apoa horror for the purpose of startling society. - towards the eastern end of the metropolis. Therefore, when night again spread her sable wing over the earth, I took my spade and bent my way In , Shoreditch Churchyard—a cemetery situated in the , midst of a densely populated neighbourhood—I . made my second assaalt upon the innocent, un- _ conscious dead! When morning dawned a grave t was found to have been violated—its tenant . dragged up and horribly mangled. The outrage , was incredible—it exoeeded all possibility of | = Se -Delief. The ramour of the St. Pancras affair had reached Shoreditch, but was treated with ridicule: now the same stupendous atrocity was brought to |-the very doors of the sceptics and scuffers; yet they did not believe until they crowded to the ebharchyard and beheld with their own eyes the epen grave, the shattered cofijn, and the mhitilated dedy! Then they were all stricken with an awful e@ensternation—and they looked at each other in damab horror, as if the plague had suddenly broken @ut amongst them. Qh! it was a glee—it was ~estacy—it was delirious pleasure for me! I went into the publie-heases and heard the frequenters of those places talking upon the subject—their tones low.and solemn : I passed down the streets and beheld ghastly amazement and blank terror depicted upon every countenance that appeared at a window or a dogr-way. Heavens! how my vengeance was working! I had been trodden apon as a worm—a Miserable, wretched worm, whose loss from the social aggregate would nut be missed, and who might therefore be safely trampied and crushed out of existence: but, behold! this worm had made itself potent eneugh to strike terror into the hearts of thousands! Was that ne triumph?—was that no source of joy? Assuredly it was: and therefore you need not be surprised if I tell you that om the third night of my savage campaign, I sallied forth again—I betook myseif to another cemetery—and St. Matthew's, Beth. nal Green, became the theatre of my hellish revelry. Oh! thea and there I rollicked like a fiend in my unholy pastime—and I vented my Frage upon the tenants of two graves! Next morning the whole district was in a state of excitement as tremendous as if the mutilated dead themselves had traversed the streets in their grave-ciothes. The infection of a panic terror spread over the entire neighbour- hood: mea shook their heads and talked of vam- pyres—old women spoke of gholes and human jackals. I concealed my joy beneath a composed countenance: but in my heart I was mad, fren- zied, frantic with the bliss of triumph.. But as I was preparing for my fourth exploit in another quarter of the metropolis, strange and awful ro- mours met my ears,—how the grave yards were to be watched with blood-hounds—how man.trazs and spring-guns were to be planted—and how all possible means were to be adopted to protect the dead and discover the desecrator of their earthy homes. I was struck with consternation—my courage vaninhed—my ferocity received a sudden check — and all my inofuriate valeur became deadened into a grovelling cowardice. Society was destined, then, to have a respite? Yes: and like a troubled spirit did I wander about at night —remaining all day in some obscure deo, where I used to fall into a numbness of the feeling and a stupefaction of the senses that made those around me think I had become a moping idiot Bat this dulness soon passed—the fearful instinct revived once more—and notwithstanding the stuggle which I made to cembat aguinst the whelming tide of abhorrent impulses, I felt that all my e@forts would be in vain [* The monster-man paused in his dreadful recital— and Meagles proffered him wine. He drank it with avidity—his eyes flamed up with brighter fires—a glow appeared upon his echeeks—and unsolicited he resumed his tale of horror. “ After the lapse of some days I grew so restless that I was compelled to go out in the broad day- light—for I found it impossible to remain in-doors. I passed by a churchyard—and, behold! a sudden curiosity prompted me to enter it. I need scarcely observe that I had not carried my apade about with me since the last time I had used it: and therefore my appearance was that of a rough, weather-beaten sailor. I did not wish to enter that churchyard— but an insuperable power urged me on. I was obey- ing some spell more potent than my own inclinations —some supernatural influence which had mare of ElOOO® SS