The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 333: what you’re looking at

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318 THE MYSTERIES. man nor the Big Beggarman failed to find the way to their mouths. The nobleman and the lady—for such she was— now began to converse together in the French language, although they were both English: but their knowledge of the continental tongue enabled them to exchangté observations without being un- derstood by their two companions, who continued to eat and drink im silence. In due time the vehicle stopped to change horses. Fhe blinds were not disturbed—the halt was short —and away sped the carriage agaih. The Mags- man and the Beggarman, having by this time Anished their sandwiches and emptied their flasks, snoozeq off each into a comfortable nap which lasted until the horses were changed again. Then, the relay being effected, they fell asleep once more; and thus, what with waking up at intervals and re- lapsing into slumber again, they whiled away se- veral hours—the journey continuing the whole time. At length the carriage halted altogether, and the lady let down the blind on one side while the no- bieman did the same on the other. The grey dawn of morning rendered all things visible, but with a misty appearance; and the first impulse of the Magsman and the Beggarman was to cast their eyes upon the lady. But their survey of her was by no means comprehensive: for like her male companion, she was wrapt in an ample eloak, and wore a mask concealing all the upper part of her countenance. Her hair was so ar- ranged that but little of it was visible beneath her slouching gipsy bonnet: nevertheless two or three straggling corls had fallen during the night—and these were ofa dark glossy brown. The eyes that looked forth from behind the mask, appeared of a deep blue—and the chin, which was completely visi- ble, was sweetly rounded and dazzlingly fair. In fine, there was every indication, despite the dis- guise, that the lady was young—and even the coarse imaginations of the Beggarman and Joe Warren believed her to be beautifal. From the lady their eyes were cast from the win- | dows of the vehicle; and they found that the halt had taken place in a bye-lane leading through a woody tract of country. At a distance of about a quarter of a mile, a small farm-house reared its white walls and its heavy gables, picturesque even in the winter-time;—and on an eminence, appa- rently a couple of miles farther on in the same irection, a spacious mansion seemed to command a view of the entire district. Theee were the only habitations visible: but at a short distance ahead some kind of building was evi- dently in progress—for the poles of a scaffolding, the triangularly arranged props sustaining a huge stone, and unfinished walls of masonry met the eyes of the Mageman and the Beggarman as they leant from the windows, sweeping the whole country reund with their keen, searching looks. But where they were—in what county, or in what pert of England—they knew no more than the The postition opened the door of the carriage: the nobleman immediately leapt out—assisted the lady to alight—and then bade the Magsman and the Big Beggarman follow. Giving his arm to the lady, he led the way down the lane, towards the building which was in the course of being raised, and which proved, on a nearer view, to be a bridge partially ereoted and intended to span a stream of wide. CHAPTER XC, THE CRIME ACCOMPLISHED. Tse reader must now be made to understand that a huge hollow buttress, standing at the water's edge, had already been raised to a level with the bank which went sloping down; and in the interier of this buttress it was doubtless intended, as is usual in such cases, to deposit a specimen of each class of current coin together with any other memo- rials of the actual year which fancy might dictate. The interior of the buttress was large; and over the opening was suspended the massive crowning stone ready to be lowered whenever the attendant ceremony should be fixed to take place. Having gained the end of the lane, which com- municated with a road that ran from the spot where the bridge was being built to the farm-house already alluded to, the lady abruptly quitted the party ; and the nobleman seid to his two hired ruffians, “ We must conceal ourselves here for s short time.” They accordingly ail three posted themselves behind a quantity of building-stones piled up in readiness to be used for the bridge; and as the trio were thus placed, no one passing along the road could possibly observe them. The nobleman now began to give his instractions in a cool, calm, and deliberate manner. ‘In the course of half-an-hour or so,” he ssid, “that lady who has just left us, will return down the road, proceeding towards the bridge. She will be accompanied by a young gentleman. They will pass on the other side of this pile of granite- blocks; and you must both rush forth—seize upon the young gentleman—thrust this piece of sponge into his mouth as a gag—and then dispose of him in pre cisely the manner I shall dictate. You comprebend me ?” “ There’s no mistake about it, sir,” observed the Magsman. “Plain as the A, B.C.,”” muttered the Big Beggar- man. “ Here, then,” resumed the unknown, producing 3 pocket-book and taking out a portion of its contents, —* here, then, is a five-hundred-poand Bank-note for each of you according to ent.” “That's what I call business-like,” said the Magt- man, his eyes gloating over the flimsv representative of the sum named. “And straight-for’ard,” added the Big Beggarman, securing his own note about his person. There was now a long silence—and every two oF three minutes the nobleman looked anxiously in the direction of the farm-house, whither the lady had gone. An increasing nervousness was perceptible in his manner, despite the mask that concealed all that portion of the countenance which expresses the feelings and denotes what is passing in the mind ; and the chattering of his teeth was even audible every now and then. At length an ejaculation of pleasure escaped his lips; and the Magsman and Big Beg- garman, looking in the same direction, beheld the COMMNGIIOKS COMM