The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 398: what you’re looking at

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

‘hie arms; and Which now-lay slightly quiveriag ead gently convuising with the. pain of returning azi- The: thought—the bitter conviction-—fiushed ‘to: itis wind timt had he never seen han—had- he never known her—she might yet be ia the enjoyment of # vigorous health and an umalloyed happiness, as well perkape ee of a stainless parity: and then followed the damning, cutting, lacerating reflection that it was: he,—-yes, he—the sedacer—who had dene the deed which tarned the whole current of her destiny, and gave the impulse to that career which, commencing with shame, passed through the phases of blighted ameton: terrible ‘accusation, yearning vengeance; dark intrigues, and a criminal gaol, to terminate in a violent death ! And not only was: he stricken by remorse—but he wae-moved to his very sevl’s foundations by a melting tenderness, because she had pardoned RST tense gloom: with ghastly abjecta nad.ever and anon The. night wae. ae dark that mot the f. glimmering could penciate inte har-dangeea. She was therefore immured an it wereian a pitehy blagk- néas which conld almoat be feltg—and the massive walls of solid masoery beat back all sounds frem without, rendering: the interian of that’ cell aa-ciill as if it were a.stone vaulé. embedded a hundssd feet below the surface of the cartbh. If there were orgies, or rioting, or weeping, or preying gying.on in other parts.of the. apneious eatablnhment, not the faintest murmur thereof ‘was borne to,the cars of the wretched weman in her own cell: no noise, either of revelry or lamentatinn, eould penetzate the immense wail which stood between heraalf and the companienship of the various felons'’- wards ;— maught could she heer, save the ominous lond+toned booming of 8. Sepulchre's. bell. as it: pnoolaimed him! Yes—the poor, wronged, injured girl, when | the houra. etretoled upon the bed of death, had laid aside * her resentment for the sake of ‘her. farmer iove— hed: renounced her feellogs of bitserness in ‘order te woo beck the- faded reminiseouces of brighter times. and happier Hours: and under this helier iaflaence she had blessed him—and she had promised to die with his name upon her: lips! | of the Yes—Oh! yes—deeply teaching was: the contem- piation of all this to the mind of the young nobie- man : and he felt that there was a voice whispering i the bitterest, bitterest represehes in the pro- fandities of his sewli—aad he now understood what remorse was aad what conscience meant { * Docter,” he murmured in. a trembling. tone as he drew the surgeen aside for a moment,“ you will devote every possible care to that poor girl— and, should she survive a few hours more,” he added, the tears ranning down his cheeks. and his voice almost choked with emotion, “I will retern and see her to-morrow.” “My lord,” replied the mediesl. man, “every at- ¢dention shall be devoted to her.” Fiorimel pressed the surgeon’s hand in grateful acknowledgment of this pledge—fixed one. long iingering look upon the. pale countenance where the tight of life still-vaciilated faintly—end then ' passed out of the infirmary with a step assiow and a moed as fall of despaising sorrow as if he were leaving a faneral scene. Aod Lord Fiorimel felt sometiting within which . gave him the essurance that he. was an altered man! CHAPTER CCXXIV. TNE MURDERESS. Tr was night—deep midnight: the iron tongue of Time had just proclaimed it from 64 Sepuichre’s tower ;—and when Mrs: Brace, in her solitary cell, had done counting twelve, the awfal silence which followed seemed more profoand, more dreadful, more solemn than it was before. The wretched wonran felt as if she were engulfed in a more than BRgyptian daricness, and: entombed in a more than sepuichral silence: a tremendous consternation was upon her as she sate in the New- gate cell. Horrible thoughts: were passing slowly through her brain,—thoughts that Peoples the in- It.wes the middle of the night sueceeding the day of 20 many and varied incidents,—that day, toa, on which the milliver had weeaked her deadly vengeance upon Casoline Waltes. Nearly tuewe hours had now elapsed since the encounter in. the passage; and the furious rage and vindictive wrath miserable weman had subsided into, pro- found regrets-and a terrible remorse. ‘Thrice since the murderous deed was done had the turmkey visited her cell; and on eash occasion had she de- mastied eagerly how it faved with Caroline Walsers. The answers were but little assuring for the niillizer: she learns that the medioal attendant had prenounesd the wound mortal, and that it was im- possible for Caroline to survive many days, even if she were to linger on beyond a few hours. Mes, Brace therefore knew that the blow which she had dealt, mest. sooner or later prove fatal ;— and thus was ‘she again and again a murderess ! Oh! how appalling sounded thai word even when breathed by the: still small veiee of conscience in thedepths of thesoul. The lips dared not breathe it: but the mind could not help thinding it—and the thought was purgatory itself! A.murderess ! —something from which human nature recoils with a cold shudder and with an iey trembling, as from the contemplation of a monstrous snake ;—a being whose gaze even the strengest and most ca'lous mer are afraid to meet, and whose touch sends a thrill of horror te the very heart's core! A murderess | semething at which natore herelf revolts, as if the deed made the very moon look red, the sun appear to setin blood, and the stars ¢o grow dull and iurid as if their light had to pese- trate through drops of gore ! The clock of St. Sepuichre’s, we say, had just proclaimed the hour. of midnight. Deep-tened and solemn was the bell as its oscillating metallic sound ‘boomed through the heavy air, penetzating those huge walls of stone. The murderess connted each stroke—until she hed numbered twelve: and then the excitement that reignednorvously through» out her form while the clook was string, suddenly yielded to the awful consternation produced by returning silence. Her heart seemed to sink within her beneath the tremendous convietion that she was alone,—alone in the uteer darkacse—alorwe in the tomb-like stiliness—alone with her harrow- ing thoughts | GOH GOO co