The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 325: what you’re looking at

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

o $22 Oh! but a crime——heavens! had not Lady Baxondale supped full of the horrors of crime already? Crime! crime!———was it to be ever crime? Alas, when once the road of iniquity is entered upon, crime after crime must mark the advance of those who tread it: bloodstained mile- stones do they become, indicating distances passed in safety, and pointing intervals of a still guiltier : Did her ladyship shudder, as the thought of another crime——-one more crime—— aS eee one, thus gradually arose’ in her 1 ahe approached the castle on returning from her half-distracted ramble P—or did she visage it as the only possible alternative that was to save from utter ruin the fabric of that power which she had hitherto taken so much pains to build up? Were her i by day and her long agonies of toil by night—her schemings and her plottings, her manquvres and her chicanerice, to have been paseed through for naught? was all the of her crimes to become useless for the want of one more crime to crown everything with success P It was while the thought of this 4 soquirineg deed of turpitude wes expanding and acq consistency in her mind, that Satan ‘appeared greedily on the watch to help her onward to ite consummation. There was a bridge across the rivor, at a spot where abe halted for a few mo- mente the better to commune with her thoughts: and as the arch had a much wider span than was requisite for the actual bed of the stream—the earth having accumulated on either bank—a por- tion of each of those banks was left dry beneath the bridge. We say that Lady Saxondale halted at this spot for a few moments; and while she stood there ing upon the castle which was about a quarter of a mile distant, the countenance of a man was stealthily thrust forth from under the bridge. The eyes which thus peered out, re- cognised Lady Saxondale’s form in a moment, though the face was unseen, her back being turned towards the individual. Then an ejaculation of satisfaction, uttered in a coarse tone, reached the ears of Lady Saxondale; and as she glanced round with a sudden start, she perceived a man emerge from the dry part of the bank beneath the She too gave vent to an ejaculation, as she at once Chiffin the Cannibal. “ Well, a ecteh cleasare fellow, “this is in- deed an to tell you the truth, your ladyship is just the very identical person I was wanting to see; and ina fit of des- peration I meant to make my way into the castle this blessed night that is coming: for I learnt that you were staying there-——-” “And what would you with me?? demanded Lady Saxondale, sweeping her rapid looks around, to assure herself that she was not observed while thus discoursing with that dreadful-looking man. | “ Money, doubtless? always money! For no other purpose could you seek me.” . “Now pray, your ladyship,” said Chiffin, with a grim smile, “don’t set me down as so uncommon eelfish. In the first place, it’s a blessing to enjoy the acquaintance of a noble lady like you; and in the second place, how should I know but what you . might have some little business in hand that I | @ould give a help to?” QED, GE TL me Sti Renee. 2 fw * Q THER RYETERIES OF THE COURT. ~ What are your circumstances P” asked her ladyship quickly: “ desperate, I presume? I thought you were going to America—that you had indeed _——” gone “Well, I told Lord Harold I should go: and 1 told his uncle too—that’s the Marquis of Eagle- dean—TI should go: but meaning to go and going is two very different things. Don’t you see, when I make up my mind one way, Fate orders another. Lord bless you! adventures crowd upon me as thick as bees did upon the bear when he upset the hive ;—and that’s the long and short of it. You see, my lady, it’s no easy matter for a thought I to myself, there is nothing left for it but to go to the castle in the hope that her lady- ship may be there. I learnt from a labouring man just now that sure enough your ladyship was there ; and oo I came and rept under the bridge here, to lay quiet till night-time, when I meant to to my old quarters. Now, that’s the blessed truth, my lady. If you have got anything I can do for you, tell me what it is, and it shall be done: but if you have not, lend mes hundred or eo—and when I am a rich man and got a large estate in North America, I will send you over « remittance.” Lady Sexondale would not have suffered the Cannibal to continue thus long in his free-and- easy, familiar discourse, were it not that she was reflecting the while in a half-abstracted manger upon that idea which, as we havo alroady satl, = acquiring a greater consistency in mind. looked at him: his condition fully corroborated his tale, and denoted the desperation of his circeum- stances. His clothes were torn in several places and soiled with mud: his hat was more than ever battered : his beard was of nearly a week's growth ; and yet the fellow, theugh in this miserable plight, had not lost the half-degged, half devil-me-care kind of brutal recklessness, which was wont to characterise him. His hand grasped a elub :—sel- dom indeed was it that Chiffin the Cannibel had ever been seen without his murdereus bludgeon. As Lady Saxondale thus gazed upon the ruffiaa, abe could not help saying to herself, “ It is destined that thie one last crime is to be perpetrated ! = o Qu EEwDw @et ap ww &— ow Cee ees eee @ lS CO = > - (COIMUC DOO CS (COL