The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 70: what you’re looking at

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

Sel — ee eee ee ee ee eee oe -_ eee lations which burst from the lips of tho astounded | Come—lend me a hand with the bods, and we will Frederick Dray: but instantly perosiving how tre- | carry him down stairs as gently as possible.” mendous was the held which the knowledge of! Thus speaking, the footmaa raised the corpse up euch a secret gave him over Mrs. Braee, he lastened | to a sitting posture; and stooping down behind it, te observe,“ My dear Harriet, I am ready to de- | he wound his arme about the burly form, while Har- vote myself body and soul for our poor mis’sus—— | riet, who had by this time regained her presence of who promises five hundred and fifty guineas——” | mind, lifted up the feet. Mrs. Brace threw the “We mast not waste time in chattering here, | cloth once more over the head of her victim ; and Fred,” exclaimed the abigail: “indeed, I have | carrying the light in her hand, she led the way from already been more than a quarter of an hour absent | the bath-room. ~and I promised to return in five misutes. So} Through her bed-chamber was the corpse thus follow me in silence !” borae—and down the stalrs was it conveyed as ‘Dhe footman started with alaerity to his feet; and | noiselessly as possible. Frederick Dray was a Harriet led the way cautiously back to Mra. Brace’s | young man of extraordinary strength and muscular bed-chamber, into which che introduced her com- | power; and he sustained nearly the entire weight panion, clesing the door with the utmest care. of the heavy inanimate mass of humen clay, Har- The milliner who had grown nervously impatient | riet merely supporting the feet in the descent. despite of the exhilarating influence of the brandy, | Often did they pause to listen whether any one be- was mach pleased when she beheld the re-appear- | sides themselves was moving in the house; and ance of her faithful abigail in eompany with the | sometimes, when the stairoase ereaked or Frederick footman. Harriet, who knew her mistress well, im- | unavoidably staggered against the ballusters, a mediately pereeived that she had been seeking {| mortal terror struck to the hearts of the two wo- artificial courage in the bottle; but Frederick Dray | men lest the whole dwelling should be alarmed by was not a little astonished to observe that the milliner | the sounds. As for the footman himself, he tool wore so cheerful a countenance under fGich hor- {| the entire preceeding with remarkable coolness rifying and embarrassing circumstances. and managed it in such a perfectly business-like wiy However, there was little leisure for making obser- | that had he been a resurrection-man he could nut vations with the eyes and none for expressing irre- | have exhibited a more complete indifference at the | levant ones with the lips: for Harriet hastened to | handling of adead body. But although this coli . inform her mistress that she had acquainted Frederick | and imperturbable disposition was the very one to with what had happened, and that he was willing and { enlist in such a matter, it was likewise that which ready to lend all the assistance in his power. Mrs, | was most to be dreaded afterwards ;—and this idea Brace thereupon opened the door of the bath-room, | struck like a pang to the brain of Mrs. Brace as she . and taking the light in her hand, entered that | led the way with the candle in her hand. | place where the corpse ef Peter Grumley was At length the bottom of the stairoase was lying. redched—and now the descent of the flight leading | A cold tremor passed over Harriet’s frame, and she | to the kitchen was begun. This was more difficult | averted her eyes shudderingly as Frederick Dray | because the eteps were precipitate: but in a few calmly and deliberately proceeded to remove the | minutes the task was accomplished, and the corp<e cloth which the milliner had thrown over the face of | Was depusited upon the pavement of the back the dead body. kitchen. “Why—it’s the Bow Street Officer, I declare!” | A bottle of wine was now procured from the exclaimed the footman, after surveying the livid | cellar; and, invigorated by the generous jaice of countenance of the murdered man: and he turned | the grape, Frederick resumed his labours. By his eyes with an expression of mingled amazement | means of a poker which was worn away almost to and incredulity upon Mrs, Brace, his looks and | point, he succeeded in raising one of the fag- manner both implying a suspicion that there was |stones wherewith the back kitchen was paved ; something more in this affair than had been com- jana the shovel which the dustman had left behind munieated to him. now became serviteabie in digging ont the earth. “Come — we have no time to lose,” said Mrs. | The young maa toiled ardaously : the pesspiration Brace, with a full recurrence of ali that nervous | streamed off him—and Mrs. Brace and Harzict, who trepidation which she had chased away by means of | watched him with profound interest, were beth as- the brandy. “The money I bave promised you is |tonished at the progress which be made. From in the man’s pockets—you can secure it at once,” | time to time he paused to rest and refresh himself she hastened to observe; for she did not altogether | with a glass of wine; and then, as if inspired by like the looks which Frederick Dray had thrown } senewed fervonr, he returned wo his task with the upon her, and her guilty conscience naturally sug- | ceselute determination of a man working for a gested the idea that he had penetrated the seoret | wager. . of the murder. And Frederick Dray's thoughts were all the “ Here is the money, safe enough,” said he, after | while as active as his arms. He knew that it only eearching the dead man’s pockets;—and securing | required one geod shance in the life of a man to the bank-ngtes about his own person, he demanded | enable bins to make bis fortane; and sush an op- of Mrs. Brace whether she bad any settled plan | portasity had presented itself to him this night. respecting tho dispesal of the corpse. The miliner was rich—and she was now completely “ My idea was to bary it beneath the pavement in | in his power : for he had indeed penctrated as pro- the back kitehen,” responded the mailliner. foundly into the truth of the matter as she had “Capital!” ejaculated Dray: “it is the best | feared and suspected, Bas he toiled hard to clear course to adopt and singular enough, the dust- | away ali traces of her crime, because it was by no his shovel by accident behiad him a/ means consistent with his own interests that it fow days ago and has never called for it since, | should be brought to light : on the contrary, it wasa ame eee eee a Ce —_ Cl —— ee eee a TS AAS: SY QD ma a S/R Eee = ee ae - © =a a ene go 90 oD TE TEE en, ain a GOH GOO