The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 131: what you’re looking at

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eroesed the threshold, Tony Wilkins rushed away— and turning the corner of the street, was at once out of sight. “ What the deuce does if mean?” exclaimed the Cannibal, sweeping his startled looks up and down the marrow alley in which the boosing-ken was situated : for be naturally thought that his accom- plice had suddenly been terrified by the appearance of police-constables. “ And how come he out of the house Pf” said the potman. “I never heerd him go down stairs?’ “ What do you mean ? where has he been ?” de- manded the Cannibal, turning round with such fierce abruptness upon the potman, that the latter started back in terror. ‘Been P Why he come to wait for you——” “ But where has he been?” vociferated Chifin, furious with mingled rage and apprehension. “ Been? Why, up in your room——” “ Perdition!” thundered forth the Cannibal; and felling the potman with one tremendous blow of his fist, he sprang up the stairs like a maniac. The master of the boozing-ken, startled from his sleep at that tremendous rush of heavy steps up the staircase, issued forth from his room just es OChifin had sprung past the door to gain the higher storey. And now, what cries of rage and bitter imprecations reached the ears of the astounded landlord, who dared not ascend to see what wae the matter. But in a few momenta Chiffin came thundering and storming down again ; and then his lose was re vealed, amidst a torrent of the most shucking oaths and diabolical threats. The landlord besought him to be tranquil, or his vociferations would alarm the neighbours: bat it was some minutes before the Cannibal could recover the slightest degree of calm. Then he hastily threw off hie own sciled and still damp garments, and put on a suit with which the landlord farnished him. This being done, he rushed away from the place, resolved to scour the whole neighbourheod im seareh of Tony Wilkins, even thcngh ab thoriek of being vevognined and oxptored by any policemen whom he might meet. He had not however gone far, before he was ateuck by a-sense of the i of his conduet, as well as by the thought that Wilkins, having at least twenty minutes’ etart of him, was not likely to be overtaken in that maze of streets, lanes, and alleys. He stopped short, uncertain what course to pursue. Should he go back to the boosing-ken ? Beareely had he asked himeclf thie question, when be recollected that he had left the produce of the past night's crime in the clothes be had put off: for sueh was his hurry thet he had omitted to take the money and the jewels from the pockets thereof. He now cursed his own oversight as bitterly as he THE MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. might have a more important object in view. There The murder in Agar Town might long ere this have been discovered—suspicion, after the adventare of the canal, would naturally fasten iteelf upon him —this public-house might be known to be one of his haunte—and hence the presence of the police. All those reflections swept like a hurricane through the mind of the Cannibal; and he tarned abruptly away. The condition of that man’s mind wae now horrible in the extreme: it was a perfect hell of all the worst and deadliest passions that can find a resting-place im the human breast. But the do- minant one was a diabolic thirst for vengeance against Tony Wilkins. He puraned his way through the narrowest and obssurest streets, ia the direction of the eastern out- ekirt of the Bethnal Green district. Tho inhabit- ants of that poor and wretehed quarter were how ali entering upon the occupations and the toile of the new-born day. The milkman was his roand, dispensing “hapo'rthe” of his well-watered ity at every door. were ecen issu- ing forth from the dens where they had slept,— walking firmly and looking happily enough, tll they entered upon the verge of superior neighbour- hoods, when they gradually assumed a shuffling, shambling gait and the most lugabrious expression of cvuntemance im order to pursue their calling. From some open windows the eounds of the weaver’s shuttle might be heard ; and at others, poor squalid- women were seen hanging out patched ragged articles of clothing to dry. Mechanics labourers were proceeding to the places where they worked, while others were going to seek for em- ployment. Hideous objects, male and female, were creeping along to the publie-howse to take their morning dram: # with shouldered brooms, were on their way to the crossings that they claimed as little freeholds of their own in better neighbourhoods. The barber’s shop was filled with customers; and bristly beards were disappearing before the keen edge of the razor. Costermongers, with their baskets and trucks, were seéting out on the day’s trading ventures, with as much speculative pre-cecupation as if they were merchants proceeding to the City to dea! with hundreds of thousands of peunds sterling. Hero might be seen a little child of ecarcely five years old staggering under the weight of a quartern loaf just fetebed from the baker’s: another returning from the chandler’s at the corner, with the half-ounce of tea, the quarter of a pound of sugar, and the diminutive morsel of butter for the breakfast. Other cbildren had already commenced the day's usual routine of playing in the gutter, and picking up euch garbage as might ‘burg that constituted his “ -in-trade” were wanting. The morning, too, was advancing—the people were dangerous for him to be abroad. There was no altevnative but to go back to the boosing-ken. On reaching the alley where it was situated, he cautioesly round the corner; and the first object that met his view, was a policeman standing at the dour of the public-house. The constable might only be waiting for a moraiog dram; or he | w it mast be nearly mid-day. slept several hours. He rose up and (COL DOO CS (COL