The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 70: what you’re looking at

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

Sel ——— ee eee ee ee ee eee oe = ww ee lations which burst from the lips of the astounded | Come—lend me a hand with the bods, and we will Frederick Dray: but instantly perosiving how tre- | carry him down stairs as gently as possible.” mendous was the held which the knowledge of| Thus speaking, the footman raised the corpse up euch a secret gave him over Mrs. Brace, he lastened | to a sitting posture; and stooping down behind it, to observe, “My dear Harriet, I am ready to de- | he wound his arme about the burly form, while Har- vote myself body and soul for our poor mis’sus—— | riet, who had by this time regained her presence of who promises five hundred and fifty guineas——” | mind, lifted up the feet. Mrs. Brace threw the “We mast not waste time in chattering here, | cloth once more over the head of her victim ; and Fred,” exclaimed the abigail: “indeed, I have | carrying the light in her hand, she led the way from already been more than a quarter of an hour absent | the bath-room. ~and I promised to return in five minutes. So} Through her bed-chamber was the corpse thus follow me in silence !” borac—and down the stairs was it conveyed as The footman started with alaerity to his feet; and | noiselessly as possible. Frederick Dray was a Harriet led the way cautiously back to Mra. Brace’s | young man of extraordinary strength and muscular bed-chamber, into which ehe introduced her com- | power; and he sustained nearly the entire weight panion, clesing the door with the utmost care. of the heavy inanimate mass of humenclay, Har- The milliner who had grown nervously impatient | riet merely supporting the feet in the descent. despite of the exhilarating influence of the brandy, | Often did they pause to listen whether any one be- was much pleased when she beheld the re-appear- | sides themselves was moving in the house; and ance of her faithful abigail in company with the | sometimes, when the staircase ereaked or Frederic footman. Harriet, who knew her mistress well, im- | unavoidably staggered against the ballusters, a mediately perceived that she had been seeking | mortal terror struck to the hearts of the two wo. artificial courage in the bottle; but Frederick Dray | men lest the whole dwelling should be alarmed by was not a little astonished to observe that the milliner | the sounds. As for the footman himself, he took wore so cheerful a countenance under fGich hor- {| the entire preceeding with remarkable coolness rifying and embarrassing circumstances. and managed it in such a perfectly business-like wily However, there was little leisure for making obser- | that had he been a resurrection-man he could nut mee eee Oi eee eee — a a we Meee eee eee cee ce Nee vations with the eyes and none for expressing irre- | have exhibited a more complete indifference at the | Jevant ones with the lips: for Harriet hastened to! handling of a dead body. But although this coli . inform her mistress that she had acquainted Frederick | and imperturbable disposition was the very one to with what had happened, and that he was willing and | enlist in such a matter, it was likewise that which ready to lend all the assistance in his power. Mra, | was most to be dreaded afterwards ;—and this idea Brace thereupon opened the door of the bath-room, | struck like a pang to the brain of Mrs. Brace as she | and taking the light in her hand, entered that | led the way with the candle in her hand. place where the corpse ef Peter Grumley was At length the bottom of the stairoase was lying. redohed—and now the descent of the fligh: leading A cold tremor passed over Harriet’s frame, and she | to the kitchen was begun. This was more difficult | averted her eyes shudderingly as Frederick Dray | because the eteps were precipitate: but in a few calmly and deliberately proceeded to remove the | minutes the task was accomplished, and the corp<e cloth which the milliner had thrown over the face of | was depusited upon the pavement of the back the dead body. kitchen. “Why—it’s the Bow Street Officer, I declare!”| A bottle of wine was now procured from the exclaimed the footman, after surveying the livid | cellar; and, invigorated by the generous jaice of countenance of the murdered man: and he turned | the grape, Frederick resumed his labours. By his eyes with an expression of mingled amazement | ™eans of a poker which was warn away almost to and incredulity upon Mrs. Brace, his looks and | point, he succeeded in raising one of the flag- manner both implying a suspicion that there was (stones wherewith the back kitchen was paved ; something more in this affair than had been com- jana the shovel which the dustman had left behind municated to him. now became serviteable in digging ont the earth. “Come — we have no time to !ose,” said Mrs. | The young maa toiled ardgously: the pesspiration Brace, with a full recurrence of all that nervous | streamed off him—and Mrs. Brace and Harziet, who trepidation which she had chased away by means of | watched him with profound interest, were beth as- the brandy. “The money I have promised you is |tonished at the progress which be made. From in the man’s pockets—you can secure it at once,” | time to time he paused to rest and refreeh himsalf she hastened to observe; for she did not altogether | with a glass of wine; and then, as if inapired by like the looks which Frederick Dray had thrown } senewed fervonr, he returned wo his task with the wpou her, and her guilty conscience naturally sug- | tesolute determination of a man working for a gested the idea that he had penetrated the seoret | wager. of the murder. And Frederick Dray's thoughts were all the “ Here is the money, safe enough,” said he, after | while as active as his arms. He knew thas it only eearching the dead man's pockets;—and securing | required one geod shanoe in the life of a man to the bank-netes about his own person, he demanded | enable bins to make his fortane; and sush an op- of Mrs. Brace whether she bad any settled plan | portunity had presented itself to him this night. respecting the dispesal of the corpse. The milliner was rich—and she was now completely “ My idea was to bary it beneath the pavement in | in his power: for he had indeed penstrated as pro- the back kitehen,” responded the mailliner. foundly into the truth of the matter as she had “Capital!” ¢jaculated Dray: “it is the best} feared and suspected, But he toiled hard to clear course to adopt~—and singular enough, the dust- | away ali traces of her crime, because it was by n0 man left hie shovel by secident behiad him a/ means consistent with his own interests that it fow dage ago and has never called for it since, | should be brought to light : on the contrary, it wasa (COU Eee Ss ees ee - @ a el zee |e ae Cee DOO (CO