The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 379: what you’re looking at

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

370 fhe old sexton wanted an assistant; and the Burker saw at a glance that the situation would suit him for the present most admi- rably, inasmuch as it would give him bread and a bed to sleep in; and of all places in the world an out-of-the-way secluded village such as this, was perhaps the best calculated to yield him a re- fuge against the consequences of a hue and cry. His original intention was to push on into the wildest parts of Scotland: but his experiences of THE MYSTERIES OF THD COURT. in this world as goes about like roaring lions seek- ing how they may dewour innocent and unwary chaps like me.” ‘Rather pious after your own fashion ?” said Jonathan Carnabie. “'Wery pious,” responded the Barker,—*“ but unassuming, unpretending, doing whatever I'm bid without axing a question—and uncommos strong and active at work.” “ And where do you come from?” asked Jona- an outoast condition were already painful enough than. to make him wish for something settled,even though it might be nearer to Liverpool than prudence would have exactly suggested. The hope, there- fore, of becoming the old sexton’s assistant was one of the results arising from his accidental listening at the loop-hole of the vault. The other was the spectacle of the brandy-flask, which the Burker longed to apply to his lips. But how was he to introduce himself to theold manP Hark ! Jonathan Carnabie resumes his musings. “'Yese—I am resolved to have an assistant— that’s settled! But I must have one that will do my bidding in all things without being questioned —that will be tutored into taking as much pride in @ neat grave and having a care of these vaults as I do myself. Now where is such @ person to be found ?” “Here!” answered the Burker: for it struck him at the instant that this was the best, as assu- redly it was the shortest, way of introducing him- self to the notice of the individual whose patronage he sought. The old sexton started, perhaps for the first time in his life smitten with a superstitious terror : but quickly recovering his self. possession, his first thought was that he must have been deceived by "| some unusual sound. He nevertheless instinctively looked towards the loop-hole; and on perceiving that the light of the shining heavens was inter- cepted by a human form, his next impression was that some belated villager was bent on playing off a joke upon him. “You have nothing to do with me or my con- cerns,” said Jonathan. “Go your ways back to the 6 Green unless they. have shut up— and in me aeney they ought—in which case go to “| doa't happen to bavo never an acquaintance with the Green the Burker ; “and as for seeking the bed I last slept in— But no matter!” he interrupted himself, as his thoughts hed wandered back to the narrow iron bedstead, the hard mattress, and the horsecloth not @ native of this here willage, though as re- spectable for a poor man as any that is.” “How came you here?’ asked Jonathan blantly. “Ym out of work,” responded the Burker—as indeed he was oat of the work which constituted his ordinary occupation before his capture. “I'm on the tramp—I was h the charch- yard—I saw the light—but not being afeard of ghostesses, I peeped m.” “ Not afraid, ch ?” said old Jonathan, to whom pois was at once a recommendation on the Burker’s half, ' “ More afeard of the living than the dead,” re- plied the Burker : “cos why there's a many people — me ieee Goa = “From Gowler—a good way off,” replied Mr. Barnes; so that this vague response have embraced any point of the compass and any con- ocivable distance. “ But where from?” inquisved Jonathan, whe though to-a certain extent simple-minded through having dwelt all his life in that village, was pever- theless precise and circumstantial enough in his habits to require definite replies to his questions. “Tm oa Lincolnshire man,” said the Barker, with a tone of uncommon frankness. “As I have told you, I’m out of work. The last job I did was for Farmer Nuggans———perhape you have heerd talk of him ?” “T can’t easy that I heve,” responded the old man. “Bat you had better step roand into the ehurch, and we will talk over the matter here. A fow steps to the right will bring you to a little door ; and the light from the voult will guide yconathan Cernabie evidently thought that the vault was the most comfortable place to sit and discourse in; and it was y indifferent to the Barker whare be deposited himself so long ss he had a chance of carrying out his aime. He proceeded to the little door—he entered the church—and the light from the vault, glimmering feebly, seemed to be a dim, uncertain, ghostly halo hanging about the dead. But the moon- beams were shining through the windows; saad they helped to subdue the light of the lantern, or to render it more sickly. They fell apon the pews of dark wood—upon the pulpit standing against one of the thick pillars—and upon three or four moruments with the sculptured effigies of the long defunct warriors whose remains hed bees buried there. It was cvidently a very old church: —in former times there had been a castle in the neighbourhood; and hence the monuments te which we have referred. The ailence which pre vailed until broken by the Burker’s heavy stamp- ing feet, would have struck solemnly to the soul of any other man, and would have induced him to tread lightly: but he was totally unsusceptible of such impressions—and he went ramping along the aisle, indifferent to the mournfal echoes which bs nailed boots raised, and which might have bees taken for the moanings of the spirits of the de parted as they died away under the groined roofs at the farther extremity. On the mouth of the vault, Barney the Burker destended into it by a flight of stone atepe; and he very deliberately seated himself upon a coffin near the block of stone on whieh Jonathan Carnabie was placed. The old mak started at what he considered to be an act of im- pious desecration: bat the Burker, not compre- hending the meaning of that movement, fancid i8 was produced by a nearer view of his own hang- CO mE ewer Oe eee —_ = om wa —_ = Ee ee EE pees COMMUC DOO CS (COL