The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 52: what you’re looking at

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

ian ping as rn Eee EEE EUR tigen Brace, from whose mind a tremendous weight had been suddenly taken by the welcome intelligence received from the constable. “ But pray be seated —and help yourself to whatever you fancy,” she observed, pointing towards a chair and glancing at the table on which there were decanters of wine and the spirit-stand. “Thank'ee, ma’am,” sald Grumley: “and with your permission I'll mix myself a giass of hot brandy-and-water just to take the chill out of my stomach.” “Do so,” returned Mrs. Brace; and tell me all that has occurred to-day.” “The thing has been managed as nice as possible,” eaid Mr. Grumley, after having taken two or three ex- perimental sips at the grog which he had just brewed ; and smacking his lips in unalloyed approval of the beverage, he continued thus: —“I all along knowed the evidence was so dead against her that it would be impossible to get her off by fair means; aud I told you as much yesterday evening at Bow Street. So I had a plan cut and dried to save her by stratagem. Im short, I resolved that she should ask the magistrate to let her visit the house in Fore Street for the purpose of procuring testimony to prove her innocence; and when once there, I was determined that she should either jump out of the winder of her own accord+or else [ meant to out her out.” “Good God!” ejaculated the milliner, trembling all over and gasping for breath: “you do not mean to say —that is—you would not have me believe that —that you—murdered her ?”” “There wasn’t no necessity for that, ma’am,” an- ewered Grumley. “The winder, as p’raps you know, looks on the Thames—and my plan was to have a boat in readiness to pick the young gal up— and a disguise in the boat for her to assume without delay.” “And was this extraordinary plan realized?” de- manded Mra. Brace, shuddering as she fancied she beheld the unfortunate girl Caroline Walters strug- gling in the waters of the rapid stream. “ Realiged—and with triumphant success, as they aay upon the play-bille,” answered Grumley. “ Miss Walters jumped out as courageous as a diver and as light as a cat—and the boat picked her up in a mo- ment, Then me and my man Mobbs rushed out of the room—raised an alarm—and pretended to be quite distracted at the hawful occurrence. We got a wherry as soon as we could—made the boatmen pull us up andedown along the shore—but of course eouldn’t discover any trace of the young lady; and so we pretended to give up the search in despair.” “And the impression will be that she was drowned ?” sail Mrs. Brace, iuterrogatively. “Jast so, my dear madam,” replied Grumley, throwing an amorous look on the milliner as he drank his brandy-and-water. “The newspapers wii] have along and pathetic account of the buasi- mess ; and in fact it all looks natural enow. A young gal driven to desperation—sees that she is sure to be committed for trial—if committed, knows that she will be found guilty—if found guilty, is well conwinced that she'll be hung; and so to prewent all these unpleasantnesses, hits upon the Ingenious trick of getting herself taken to Fore Street, where she’s well aware that the means of suicide is within her reach—’cause why, the river rolls under the winder. There it is all in a out-shell—and a Wery i pathetic, romantic, and affecting history it makes.” “ But will you not be compromised ?” asked Mra. Brace. “Not a atom,” retarned Grumley, with a sly laugh : “I took all my measures too well to leave the door open for any suspicion against me. When I went to fetch the youny gal away from the prison a little before one to-day, I remarked to the turnkey in a careless, off-hand way that she was sure to be committed, as I had got up a precious strong case against her. So ke wouldn't think that I was at all friendly disposed towards her. Then I really did produce an overwhelming foree of testimony against her ; and J myself was the fust to ask the magistrate to commit her, before he himself or his clerk had uttered an opinion on the subject. Again, when Miss Walters requested permission to visit the house ir Fore Street, I wouldn’t appear to help her at all in the matter: on the contrary, I managed to throw all the responsibility of the proceedings on the justice of the peace himself. In short, I played my cards so well, ma’am, that I can’t possibly be blamed.” “ Not for allowing her to escape from your cus- tody ?” said Mrs. Brace. “ To be sure not!” ejaculated Grumley. “Sup- pose, now, that me snd my man Mobbs had let her run away from us while we were taking her to the house in Fore Street—then indeed the world might have said that we were either bribed or that we showed a most unpardonable negligence. But when once we got the girl in safety into the house, who could have supposed that she would suddenly open a casement and flings herself into the Thames below? Don’t you sec the difference, ma’am ?”— and as Mr. Grumley asked this question, he winked his eye knowingly. “I now comprehend the full meaning and force of your precaution,” observed the milliner. “And during the examination before the mayistrate, was anythiug said at all calegiated to compromise ——” “You or your establishment, ma’am 2?” exclaimed Grumley, who, perceiving that the lady hesitated, finished the sentence for her. “Not a word—not a syllable, I can assure you. In fact, J put a stop to all that, my dear madam, when I was taking the young gal along to the magi:trate’s house.” “Ah! then she did threaten?” exclaimed Mrs. Brace, inquiringly: for she was anxious to learn how far the revelations of Caroline Walters might have extended. “ Well—she did threaten a many things, ma’am,” said Mr. Grumley, surveying the milliner with looks so fall of unmistakable grossness that she began to be not only disgusted but likewise alarmed. “It ain’t however of no uze wexing yourself on that account, my dear creatur’,” added the constable. “Oh! no—not at all,” ejaculated Mrs. Brace. “But I will now hand you over the remaining moietyof the promised reward,” she observed, start- ing fram her seat. And as she crossed the room to open the writing. desk which stood on a side-table, Mr. Gramley followed her with his eyes ; and the rustling of her silk dress—the glimpse which he caught of her robust but well-turned ankles and her very gen- teelly shaped feet—the gleaming of her white neck and arms in the lamp-light—and the coquettish French cap so admirably becoming the millioer’s style of beauty,—all these prodaced an indescribable (COU ee a (C DOO (CO