The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 132: what you’re looking at

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THE MYSTERIES OF THE COUR 126 walked otill farther into the country. Again he slaked his thirst at a rivulet: but his hunger was now ravenous. Ho beheld a cottage at a distance: and thither he bent his steps. The door stood open : a labourer and his wife, with three or four children, were seated at a table, ‘partaking of their frugal re- past. Chifin the threshold, and asked for a pieca of bread, saying that he was in great distress. He had on a decent suit of clothes, sup- | a plied by the landlord of the boosing-ken; and the first thought of the man and his wife was that he was some broken-dowm tradesman. They were therefore about to invite him to enter and partake of their meal: bat when they looked a seeond time at his villanous hang-dog countenance, they felt convineed that be was an evil charactec; and the peasant, getting up from table, closed the door abruptly. Chiffin gave vent to a savage imprece- tion, and dragged himeelf away. Aé a dietance from that cottage he sat down again to reflect upon his position and the course he should pureus. respect to the double murder in Agar Town, he had no doubt; and that there would be an active search for him, he was equally confident. So far os his apparel went, he was to a certain degree dieguised by the plain but respectable euit he had on: bat how eould he prevent his countenance from betray- ing him? Thies wae the question. Even if he had his whiskers shaved off and his hair eropped close, his features would still reasain too remarkable not to identify him. Therefore, to re-enter London was under any circumstances impossible. As for writing to the landlord of the boosing-ken in Spital- fields, to ask that he would remit hie money to any stated place,—-this would be absurd: for that indi- vidual, in the supposition thet Chiffin was by no means likely to return to his house~-or that if he did, he would be completely in hie power-~was sure to self-appropriate whatecever was found in the pockets of the garments left bebind. Then what washe todo? A thought struck him. What if he were te travel into Lanculnshire and pay a visit to Saxondale Castle? If. her ladyship were still there, well and good—she would supply him with funds: bat if not, he could hide himeeif in the western wing of the buildiag—the larder of the castles, stealthily visited by night, would eupply him with food—and he might thus lead a comfortable life for some time, until he found the means and opportu- mity for getting ont of England. Tae Cannibdal’s resolve was y taken; and be composed himenif te sleep agate anter 2 hedge, so that he should be safficiently refreshed to journey throughout the ensuing night. It was sumest when he resumed his walk: but be felt faint foe want of food. Food he must have, by some smeans or another. his steps in a northern d@igrection, he entered on the high road with a de- termination of stopping the first solitary traveller be might chanes to encounter, provided the appear- ance of the individual should promise a booty worth the risk. Hoe walked slowly along—for he was weak aad weil nigh exhausted, notwithstanding his stum- bere of the day: hie hunger was no longer ravenous : but it was a beantifal clear night, in the month cf September. Presently he heard the gourds of a horee’s hoofs approaching from bebind - “bee @ aww ww ww ‘ one ae = <@aiwe ~ wwe 8s eh That suspicion would fall upon bimeelf in | pounds ate brisk trot. He had in his hand a good stout oudgel with which he had provided himself; and he grasped it in readiness to make an attack. The horseman soon overtook him; and the glance which Chiffia threw over his shoulder at the individual, decided him in a moment. Desperation and ex- citement nerved him with strength: as for courage, he naturally possessed it. The traveller had the of a substantial farmer, and was a shost, stout, etrong-built man, somewhere about forty years of age. Chiffin sprang forward, his club in one hand, the other stretched cut to seise the bridle of the horse: bat the animal, frightened at the sud- denness of the movement, swerved aside—and the next instant ite rider rolled in the dust. It is more than probable that he would have been stunned by the fall: bat the Oannibal, to make sure, dealt him & blow on the head which effectually deprived him of his senses, though not of life. Chiflin lost not an instand in turning out the contents of his pockets, which he found to consist of between $wo and three and for a fow moments he deliberated whether be should @ the horse likewise: bat he feared that it might lead to his detection-~—and he accordingly hastened away from the scene of his villanous exploit. Speeding across the fields, he ran till he was quite and was compelled to rest for a time. Then he continued his journey again—and sccm reached a village, where he procured refreshments. Here powever he made but a brief halt: for in the tap-room of the public-house where he partook of hie meal, the conversation turned upon the dreadful rourder which had been discovered that morning in a pert of London called Agar Town. The names of Chiffin and Tony Wilkina were freely mentioned, and in rather an unpleasant way too for the listener. It even struck him that he was surveyed in a some- what scrutinising manner by those present: and thus he was by no means sorry when, on quitting the public-house, he breathed the open air again. CHAPTER CXIV. MES. BLOUGHTON AND THE COUNTESS. Retunw we once more to the palatial mansion of the Eari of Castlemaine at Kensington. It was the fourth day after the scene when the Countess fainted in her attempt to write a letter to her husband ; and during this interval she had remained unconscious of all that was peesing around her. Whaen she re- covered her intellectual faculties, che began to quev- tion Mrs. Broughton as to how long this relepee had lasted—whether the Earl had visited her as was his wont—and whether anything of importance had taken place? In reply to these queries she was in- formed that she had been three whole days in a dafigerous condition again—that the Earl himself, pleading indisposition, had kept his own chamber— but that he had y sent to make inquiries relative to her ladyship’s health. Mrs. Broughton added that nothing of importance had ocourred, — thereby meaning that there had been no fresh in- trusions on the part of the nocturnal visitor to the suite of chambers. 2 oe wees © weenie Gane ee eove@ (COL (C DOO CS (COL