The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 395: what you’re looking at

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

$84 k han. He had some idea of playing the part of | some neighbouring spring. But scarcely had he THE MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. howling mendicant by himself: bat beholding a | advanced a dozen yards from the dilapidated edi- couple of Peons thought of the tortures—and he quitted the town. For several hours he wandéred through the country, reckless in which direction he proceeded —having no fixed aim—but wondering what would become of himself. At length he reached a pile of ruins, which seemed to be the remains of some ancient temple. He remembered the ruined temple he had seen in the jungle; and his blood ran cold at the recollection of how ke had there beheld snakes coiling all over the black marble image. He therefore hesitated to enter amidst these ruins,—although the beams of the meridian sun were pouring down with all their burning heat upon him. He was faint and exhausted with hunger, with weariness, and with the intolerable sultriness of the day : he therefore et last mustered up courage sufficient to penetrate into the ruins. Amidst huge blocks of granite did the English- man work his way—over prostrate pillars and crumbling columns did he step—until he at length found himself inside as much as remained of the edifice iteelf. He perceived one large image upon a pedestal, and another lying amidst the rank grass which grew where a pavement of stone or marble once had been. As he was proceeding cautiously, the Burker’s foot kicked against something amidst the grass; and it being of a very hard substance, he had no fear that it was any coiled-up reptile. He stooped down, and felt about upon the spot :—his hand en- countered an iron ring fastened to the middle of a stone about two feet square. Thinking that the circumstance was worth while to be further inves. tigated-—-and having ideas of buried treasures floating through his mind—the Englishman began to remove the long grass which grew all about the stone ; and when he had torn up the rank herbage by the roots, he founa that the stone was set in the midst of surrounding pavement, upon which a surface of earth had accumulated sufficient to pro- duce and nourish the grass which he had thus cleared. He now endeavoured to raise the stone : bat vain were his attempts. Exhausted thereby, he desisted—and began to console himself for his failure in a fashion somewhat similar to that of ing through the street, he | fice, when he beheld the unmistakable form of the squint-eyed Gosscon approaching. It was with a sudden yell of rage that the Burker bounded to- wards his late companion: bat tbe latter, with a malignant grin, drew forth a sharp poniard frum beneath his garments; and holding its point to- wards the Burker, seemed to say, “Come on if you dare !” The Englishman stopped short, scowling hor- ribly: the Gossoon burst out into a laugh, which Only irritated the Englishman more than ever, if possible, against him; so that at all risks he wae on the very point of epringing at the treacherous dervish, when this individual suddenly tossed his wallet towards him. The Burker picked it up; and as he opened it, his hand first of all eneoan- tered a flask. This he at once applied to his lips ; and the potent alcohol he imbibed tended to appease his rage somewhat and improve his humour. He glanced at the Gossoon, who was now gtinning, nodding, and wagging his head, and squinting more horribly than ever with bis right eye. The wallet contained some tempting provisions ; and the Burker was already commencing a ravenous attack upon them, when the Gossoon spoke some- thing and made him a sign to repeir to the ruins of the temple. The Burker hesitated and looked suspicious: but the Hindoo replaced his dagger beneath his garments, and made sigus of amity and peace. The Burker thought that after all the Gossoon could entertain no murderous inten- tion towards him ; for if so, he might have already carried it into effect while he was inspecting the wallet; and therefore he no longer hesitated to return into’ the temple. There they sat down together, eating and drinking just as if their companionship had never once been interrupted by the perfidy of the Hindoo; and when the meal was concluded, the Gossoon rose and began to examine the interior of the ruins, evidently with the air of a man who beheld them for the firet time. The Burker meanwhile was wondering whether his companion still had the bags of rupese about him; and if so, how he could tarn the tables and become the despoiler. All of a sadden an ejaculation escaped the lipe of the dervish :— he had discovered the stone with the iron ring ! The Burker now approached the spot; and partly by signs, partly by means of the fow words of Hindostanee with which he was acquainted, he | gave the Gossoon to understand that it was he himeelf who had torn up the grass, bat that he had vainly endeavoured to lift the stone. The Gossoon attempted the task ; but eppeared equally unable to perform it. He then took his degger, and with the point endeavoured to work away the cement which united the stone to the sur- rounding ones. While he was thus occupied, en idea entered into the Barker's head. He’ thought that he might seize the opportunity of gratifying his and recovering possession of his beg of rupees, with the Qossoon’s treasure like. wise, all at tho same time. His eye settled upon a fragmout of masonry which lay conveniently In a short time the thirst of the Burker grew | near, and which was of dimensions suitable to be ao intolerable that he was compelled to issue forth | wielded for his murderous purpose,—whea the from the ruined temple in the hope of finding , Goesoon, suddenly starting up from the work in the fox with respect to the grapes in the fable. Ho muttered between his lips that the stone with the ring doubtless covered the mouth of a well, and that any idea of a buried treasure was idle and ridiculous. The exceeding sultriness of the sun compelled the Burker to remain within the shade afforded by the ruined temple. He was faint with hunger and parched with thirst: he resolved at the ap- proach of evening to quit his present quarters, and appeal to the charity of some dweller at any neighbouring cottage for food and a night's reet. Perbaps through the man’s mind floated tho idea of enriching himself once more by means similar to those which had temporarily put him in posses- sion of a bag of rupees: for crime is horribly sug- gestive, even on the part of those who by their own misdeeds would appear to stand in need of no euch hints at all. ee (CO G OOO SS} (CO