The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 361: what you’re looking at

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

~~ a SS ee a 348 HE MYSTERIES OF THB COURT. or, of his book with as much calaness and composure as if nothing extraordinary were on the tapi: but at about hall-past nine o’clock he prepared to sally forth,—haviog previously, however, given some special instractions to his housekeeper rela- taye to the mode in which a certain person was to be received during his absence. Meantime the Hangman, the Buttoner, the Mushroom Faker, and Bob the Darrynacker, were all assembled at the dark crib in company with Bencall. This precious company were seated in that same room at the back to which our readers have been previously introduced; and the table was as usual covered with the materials for drink- inz and smoking—or, as the men themselves ex- pressed it, “a regular booze.” “ Well, do you still think your blowen is staunch jn this matter ?” asked the Hangman, addressing himself to the Buttoner. “J have no reason as yet te think otherwise,” was the response, “ But of course, after the tricks she has already played us, it is impossible to say. She ought to be back by this time; and then we shall see what she says.” “And if she did mean to betray us in any way, how should we know it?” asked Bencull. “She can't betray us into Sampson's power for anything particular we are doing at this moment,” observed the Hangman. “All the harm she can do, is to put him up to snuff respecting our inten- tions towards him; and in that case of course he wou't come down ahd hide himself in the gallery.” At this moment a knock was heard at the street- loor; and Bencull, hastening to answer the sum- mons, gave admittance to Nel! Gibson. The young woman ertered the back ragm with her wonted calmness and self-possession. Indeed, there was no reason why she should look or feel otherwise ; inasmuch as so far from contemplating any treach- ery in the present instance, she bad faithfully and as she believed, successfully, performed her part in the drama now in pro “It is all right,” she daid, taking a seat next to the Buttoner. “ Larry Sampson, having nibbled at the bait for the last t weeks, has now swal- luwed it completely; and he will be in that gallery at eleven o'clock to-night.” | “And you don’t thiok he suspects anything, Nell ?” said the Hangman inquiringly, as he looked at her intently from beneath his overhanging brows. “1 am suro he does not,” she answered, with perfecteomposure. “ Or if he does, then is he the greatest adept at concealing his thoughts that I ever saw in all my life.” “ Well, of course, he is all that,” growled Ben- cull; “but ¥ should have thought that you was more experter still, Miss Nell, and so you might have seen whether he took it all in for gospel or not.” “ Again I tell you,” said the young woman, now speaking somewhat impetuously, “that as far as I could po-sibly judge, Larry Sampson believed [ was performing a real part. But I suppose that after what occurred on Shooters’ Hill, you mean to suspect everything I do, and every word I speak? Now, then, I tell you again, and for the lust time, that you are wrong! I tried to save Huntingdon because he was the first man—i : fact the only man t ever loved: and what I did the ofh¢r sight } = noel ee — oe Us ~—_ @ «a would do over again; for I wouldn’t bave a hair of his head injured. But in other matters I would die sooner than befay you—-yes, by God! I would die first.” And having worked herself up to a pitch of powerfal excitement, she struck her clenched band so {urcibly upon the table that bottles and glasses and tobacco-pipes all danced and rattied as if the floor of the room was upheaving with an earthquake. *Come now, Nell, none of this nonsense,” said the Buttoner: “we ain't suspecting you at the present moment. In fact han’t we promised to look over what you did tother night on Shooters’ Hill, if so be we saw that you proved faithfol in the little business now in hand” “Well, and you will see too,” returned Nell Gibson sulkily. “But 1 suppose you don't want me to wait any longer ?” “No,” replied the Buattoner: “you can be off and get back to Mother Young's. There's enough of as here to do the business without you. Bat here—take a drop of summut short first :"—and he handed her a glass of spirits. “Well, here’s success to you,” said Nell, her good humour returning—and she tossed off the burning alcohol: then replacing the glass on the table, she took her.departare. “I raly don’t know what to make of that gal,” sald the Buttoner after a brief pause. “I have been her flash man for the :ast three weeks, and can’t understand her yet.” “Ghe’s as deep and artful as the devil,” said Bencull, “and that’s why I first of all recom- mended her in this ‘ob. Bat if so be she should turn her artifice against uw" “Then, by Satan! she shall suffer for it,” ex- claimed the Hangman, rising from his seat and battoning up his coat. “ Aye, that she should,” said the Mushroom Faker. “ And I would help to do for her,” added Bob the Durrynacker. “Well, we shall know more about it presently, I dare say,” observed the Hangman. “And now I am off up to Long Acre to call at Larry's and see if I can get hold of the police book. I hope when I come back in two or three hours or so,” he added, with a look ominously ferocious, “I shall hear that Larry Sampson is deep down at the bottomf the ditch.” Then jerking his thamb significantly over his shoulder towards the window, the Hangman pet on his hat and quitted the room. Bencu'l, the Buttoner,the Mushroom Faker, and the Dugrynacker now remained together at the dark crib, sw@okiog and drinking, and conversing on the business which they had in hand. Once or twice Bencall went ous to the street door, to as- certain, as he expressed himself, “what sort of a night it was;” and retarning on each occasion to his companions to report that the moon was com- ing out clearer ang brighter, they with one accord regretted that it was not pitch dark, considering the enterprise they had in For although none of the inhabitants of Jacob's Island might be supposed to be over particular, yet it was seme- what too serious an affair to have the eyes of neighbours catching a glimpse of any murderow) proceeding by the aid ef moonlight. But 0 & [2 aero Repeal, — oe COMME lOO© Ss