The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 55: what you’re looking at

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

44 THE MYSTERIES OF THB COURT. “ Just wait a moment,” interposed Jack. “J he officiously undertook to execute whateocever thought that the strange man went down into the | commissions they might choose to charge him with. ecullery—found the cat there—discovered the trap- door—and then all in an instant turned into a policeman. But you know, Bab, that the night we did that last piece of business—I mean Preston’s affair—the cat did cut about the house in such s strange way that I told you at the time I didn’t like it: it seemed an omen of evil. But really,” asked Jack, abruptly, “ what is to prevent us from making a bolt now? Why not get over to France? We may then dispense with this new business about your mother—we need not care what happens to the Burker—and we shall no longer have to pension those Scotts.” “And what if the police have their eye upon us?” demanded Mrs. Smedley: “what if that man who came to-night is a detective who wants to get into the house under pretence of being a lodger, that he may all the better play the spy upon us P I tell you I am certain that if we were to make such a move as would show we intended flight, we should both be pounced upon at once on some pretence or another. It is only by staying here, and seeming to rely on our respectability, that we are safe. The police are evidently pus- sled about us: they don’t know what to think— they fancy we may be all right—and as long as we give them no cause to think otherwise, we are safe. They may try by all kinds of dodges to know more of us and peer into our secretes: but there’s no chance of their going to the length of laying hands upon us. We must therefore use the opportunity we now have to get rid of obsta- cles and overcome perils—so as to make ourselves completely safe. Now, that is my view of the matter—and it «wast be acted upon,” added Bab mptorily. “ But what if I go to Liverpool P” asked Jack, considerably re-assured, though not completely so, by his wite’s ar ts. ° “Natural enough!” she exclaimed, —-“to see your mother-in-law—to remonstrate with her on her wickedness if she is guilty—to console and strengthen her if she is innocent! ‘Will those reasons do, Jack? Come now, you have played the sanctimonious long enough amongst those snivelling, canting, whining hypocrites next door” —alluding to the chapel—“to be able to perform the same part with great effect at Liverpool. Take a clean white cravat with you—put on your longest face—and don’t fear as to the result. What you roquire is fortunately in the housep——” “ How P” exclaimed Smedley. “The phial of prussic acid,” rejoined his wife. “Don’t you remember, we found i¢ amongst Preston’s effects? Forger as he was, and always trembling at the idea of being arrested, he no doubt had the poison in readiness for any moment. It is lucky for our present purpose; because it would otherwise be dangerous for you just now to go out and buy it.” We need notchronicle any more of the discourse which took place between this delectable husband and wife: suffice it to say that everything was settled between them for the carrying out of their nefarious purpose. At an early hour in the morn- ing Jack Smediey went amongst two or three of his neighbours, with the intimation that he was going to Liverpool to see his mother-in-law; and He however received cold and distant responses, to which he had been lately accustomed: but his present purpose was answered—he had openly de. clared his intention of visiting Liverpool—and if there were really police spies in the neighbour- hood, they could not think that he meditated a total flight altogether. To Liverpool Mr. Smedley repaired: and in the evening he arrived in that town. It was too late for him to see his mother-in-law: but on the fol- lowing morning, at the earliest hour permitted by the prison ions, he was introduced into her cell. Hoe found the old woman still in bed; and when he made his appearance, she surveyed him with looks of mingled spite, mistrust, and aver. sion. “Well, mother-in-law,” said Jack, when the turnkey had retired, “gs you didn’t write to us, Bab and I thought the best thing to be done was for me to run down and see you.” “I wish I had never seen you at all!” answered Mrs. Webber growlingly,—“ never in all my life! It was you who concocted this precious business that has got me into such trouble; and, O dear! O dear! to think how it will end—to think how it will end !” The wretched woman sate up in bed, and rocked herself to and fro as she thus spoke. She was frightfully altered. Thin and emaciated, she was worn almost to a skeleton—not by remorse for the crimes she had committed—but with horror at the incessant contemplation of the penalty she would soon have to pay for them. There was something fearful in the expression of her countenance: she seemed like a starved tiger-cat that could have sprung at any one approaching, as if to avenge the doom that appeared certain to overtake herself. Jack Smedley was frightened by her look—while her words seemed to justify all the misgivings which her daughter Barbara had entertained con- cerning her. “*Come, mother-in-law,” he said, plucking up his presence of mind as well as he was able; “don’t be angry with me—I did all for the best.” “And the worst has come of it!” interjected Mrs. Webber sharply; “and I have got to bear all its brunt. I tell you what, Jack,”’ she went on to say, her eyes glaring with fiercences upon him, —“ those who commit crimes in concert, should also share the punishment in concert : or else there's no fairness and no justice! I feel asif I was made @ scapegoat of ———” “ Nonsense, mother-in-law!” exclaimed Jack Smedley. “ When people embark in these sort of things, they each and all take their fair and equal chance. It might have happened to Bab—it might have happened to me-——" “ You! you white-livered scoundrel!” ejaculated Mrs. Webber, with a look of withering contempt: “ you would have turned round and peached on all the rest the very first instant. Bab too is as selfish as she can be. Look at the letters you have both written me!—full of that canting nonsense of your's, the infection of which Bab scems to have caught !” “ How could we write otherwise?” asked Smed- ley. “Come, do be reasonable, mother-in-law——” “ Reasonable indeed!” cried the wretched woman : GDoo <S co