The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 326: what you’re looking at

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

a a a i hil? THE MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. 823 Scarcely had the idea taken birth in my mind, when Satan sent me the instrument to accomplish it. Ah! is it, then, indeed no fable that human beings may sell their souls to the Evil One? They can—they can ; and the method of doing so by the formal means of a written compact, signed by one’s own Viood, is the only part of the proceeding which is a fiction. Ah! if I have thus sold myself to Satan, of a verity he leaves me not long in a dilemma, without sending me the means of self- extzication; and if ever he had upon earth an | ing agent in human shape, the incarnate demon stands before me know.” Some such reflections as these swept through the mind of Lady Saxondale, as she surveyed Chiffin the Cannibal; and at length breaking silence, she said, “So your circumstances are , and ee Sn eigeet ty yee to one Ses taal “Five hundred ” echoed the Cannibal, whirling his bludgeon up in the air, and catching it with a full sounding grasp of his huge, muscular hand, as it fell: “five hundred ! Lord bless your back, if any body had told me there was such a sum in the world, I should really have doubted it, and fancied that I could only have dreamt of such things. But to be serious—for five hundred pounds I am the man ready to cut a dozen throats.” “Talk not thus!” ejaculated Lady Saxondale, a strong shudder passing her entire form. “ Yes—there is a deed to be done, and there are five hundred pounds to be gained by the doing of it. But we must not remain here any longer now: we might be seen were Besides, after your last adventure at the cas- tle——” When that gal of your's was so laugh. “Well, but where shall I sce your lady- ship again? I suppose the rooms are still shut up, as they always used to be ?” “Yes,” replied Lady Saxondale; “and every- thing considered, it will perhaps be better for you to take up your quarters there. If scen prowling about, or observed hiding under bridges or hsy- “Well, it would look ell, ok rayther suspicious,” ob- Chiffin : “ partickler as I’m not exactly in e you there punctually at midnight.” . _ Having thus spoken, she continued her way to- wards the castle; while Chiffin crept under the hour or so, until it should be sufficiently dark to enable him to effect his entry into the shut-up ts. “Yes—ene more crime,” said Lady Saxondale te heseelf, as she approached the gate af the castel- Chifin, with a chuckling cold lated mansion: “one more crime—end then may I | ! hope for security and triumph |” CHAPTER CLVI. THE HMEAD-CONSTABLE. Ir was about half-past eight o'clock in the even- , that the head-constable of ; h alighted from a gig at the gate of Saxondale Castle, . and proffered a request to the ing hi ladyship! only a quarter of an hour | ms the man’s approach——~No, I hare nothing to fear |” Nevertheless, as Lady Saxondale posscescd a guilty conscience, she was far from being entirely free from misgivings as the constable entered the room; and her large dark eyes bent upon him the penetrating look of eagles’, glances, as ho bowed obsequiously in her presence. Her courage rose : for she saw that the man was himself samewhat awkward and embarracsed—and the thought flashed to her that it was probably altogether upon quite a different business he had come. (GO) ( 5 DOO CS (GO)