The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 213: what you’re looking at

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

eee Eee a 204 crept down the staircase. een =e ee THE MYATERIES OF THE COURT. Not a board creaked easy enough; for he is too deaf to hear the door under her footsteps; and she was careful to pre- opening or to catch the sound of your footsteps. vent the rustling of her dress as she passed by, Bat you had better both of you take off your Lettice Rodney's door. She carried no light in her shoes. hand; and thus, silent as a ghost—etealthy and mysterious as an evil spirit—in the deep darkness | did she continue her way. She gained the ground- floor—she peeped through the keyhole of the st room—and thence she proceeded to the kitchen. Cautiously opening the back door, she put on her shoes again and issued into the yard. The back gate was speedily unfastened—and two persons, who were lurking in readiness there, passed into the premises. These were Barnes and his delectable acolyte Bill Scott. Mrs. Webber led them into the kitchen; and there she struck a light,—placing her finger upon her lips the mo- ment the glare of the lucifer flashed upon the pre- vious darkness. “Hush!” she said in the lowest whisper : must be cautious—the lady is come.” “ But has the old ’un paid her over the blunt >” inquired Barney with a Icok of apprehension. ‘*No—I[ am certain he has not,” responded Mrs. Webbe? ; “there are deeds to sign first of all—or rather it was intended there should be,” she added, with a glance of diabolical significancy. “Ah! but they won't be, though,” rejoined Barney the Burker, his own looks full of a still more hideous and terrible meaning. “I say, by the bye, when I think of it—did I understand you just now, marm, that you mean to cut away from the house directly the business is done ?” ‘To be sure,” answered Mrs. Webber, —‘“ when the swag is properly divided. But of course we shall all three go different ways—and you may depend upon it that thouch an old woman, I shall keep on the tramp the whole night, and then get up to London to-morrow in the best way that I can.’ “Bat there'll be a terrible hue and cry,” re- marked the Burker, “and it won’t do for you to think of laying concealed at Jack Smedley’s house you'll be sure to get nabbed.” “ And I don’t mean anything of the sort,” an. swered the vile woman: “I shall get over to France, and never come back to England again. But we must not stand gossiping here: we must wet to work.” This counsel was at once followed by the Barker and Bill Scott; and Mrs. Webber, with the light in her hand, now led the way from the kitehen. On reaching the passage where the door of the strong room was, she deposited the candle upon a step of the stair€ase, and then peeped through the keyhole. As her countenance was turned towards her two villanous accomplices, ite expression’ of fiendish satisfaction made them aware that circumstances continued favoarable to their murderous project. Mrs. Webber now proceeded to raise the latch of the door as noiselessly as she possibly could ; and as she gently opened it, Barney and Bill Seott beheld the old man eeated with his back towards them. He had on his dressing-gown, and was placed in an arm-chair at the head of the table. A single candle lighted the scene within the room: its beams were reflected by the yellow gold which the miser was counting. A couple of bags were likewise in front of him—as well as an open account-book, which showed the state of Mrs. Rayner's affairs, calculated and balaneed to the minutest fraction. So absorbed was Anthony Pollard in his task, that even if he had been less deaf than he was, he would perhaps have still failed to hear the opening door or the tread of the murderers’ steps—shoeless and stealthy — that were approaching from behind. Barney the Burker advanced first, with his long sharp dagger in his hand: Bill Scott was imme. diately behind him, grasping a pistol to be used in case of emergency. Mra. Webber remained at the door,—behind which she half her- self; for though iniquitous enough to play her part in the cold-blooded deed, she nevertheless instinctively recoiled from its too near contem- plation. Stealthily advanced the Burker towards the unsuspecting old miser; and when at the back of his chair, the villain’s dagger was raised to deal the murderous blow. At that very instent Mrs. Webber gave a start; and the word “ Hash!” being almost involuntarily uttered, sounded aa- dibly from her lips. Bill Scott, inatantaneously catching it, laid his hand upon the Barker's ‘‘ Mere’s the tools,” said the Burker, with a shoulder to make him aware that there was some- grin, as he produced a long dagger from one | thing wrong, at the same time that he glanced pocket and a pistol from the other—while Bill | back towards Mrs. Webber. But it was too late! Scott also displayed a couple of pistole. “ But |—the diabolic galvanic force was already in the this is the thing that we must do the business | Burker’s arm—the weapon was descending with a with,” added Barnay, as he restored the pistol to | terrific power—deep down did it plunge between his pocket and felt the péint of the dirk with his | the shoulders of the unfortunate old mau—ae groan forefinger. “Come,” said Mrs. Webber; “and mind if Mrs. Rayner up-stairs happens to overhear a noise —if there is any struggliuz on the old man’s part | burst from his lips—and he fell forward a corps, with his head upon the table. “It was nothing, after all,” said Mrs. Webber, the instant the blow was dealt. “I I thought I and sbe gets alarmed and comes down or cries ' heard some one moving about up-staira.” UUt “Then we must do sei business also,” rupted the Burker, with « ferocious look. But here we must interrupt the thread of our inter- narrative for a brief space, to return to Lettice , Rodney. It will be remembered that when Mrs. Mrs. Webber nodded with approving signifi- | Webber was summoned to the parlour in order to cancy ; and as a thought struck hér, she said, “As I came down stairs, I peeped through the key- | conduct Lettice to her chamber, she was seised with astonishment on finding that her master was hole and saw the old man sitting with his back to not alone, and that the lady whom she took to be the door. If we should be lucky enough to find | Mrs. bim in the same position now, the work will be' temporary absence from the house. Rayner, had been admitted during her That lock e (COL (C DOO CS (COL