The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 337: what you’re looking at

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

s a = ——_ —awenortim, = ~~ Ome Cy SSG oP so r,t N — ee s p t t nn I — T T T GE I I a T O ETTE AE ISS TT TE M, 322 stone, which he bade the two men raise by the help of certain implements which they would find in the bag. At the same time he charged them to perform their work in such a manner that when replaced, the stone should afford no indication of having been recently raised. The bag, as the nobleman intimated, was found to coutain not only all the requisite tools for ac- a scarcely to leave the nobleman and his two assistants the power to scramble up the stone steps and retreat into the purer air of the aisle of the church. The lantern, which the masked unknown carried in his hand, threw its gleaming rays upon the dis- turbed and agitated countenances of the two men, whose souls were now filled with a consternation which they vainly endeavoured to conceal from each complishing the task now described—but likewise | other a box of cement for the purpose of refixing the stone in its setting. To work the Magsman and the Big Beggarman therefore went, their employer holding the dark lantern in such a way that while it effectually assisted them, its beams never once permitted them to read a single word of the in- aevewvwwaa @o - =e a We we te mm = wow we: of this suggestion the Big Beggarman signified his concurrence in a remark that began and ended with oaths more horrible than even the one to which his companion had given utterance; and the blood of the nobleman actually curdled in his veins as this hideous Janguage struck appallingly upon his ears. “Silence! he exclaimed, almost sinking beneath the shuddering effects of the cold tremor that passed over him: “such dreadful language is enough to awaken those who sleep around you.” “Me and my pal ain’t afraid of the dead, sir,” growled the Magsman, with a chuckle which seemed to strike upon the nobleman’s mind as something that did him harm. “TJ should think not !” exclaimed the Big Beggar- man, with even a coarser and more brutal laugh. «I hever did see any ghostesses yet—and if so be the dead does walk at times, this is a very favourable opportunity for oneof ’em to get up and enjoy a moathfal of fresh air.” But scarcely were these words uttered, when a tremendous explosion, like the report of a cannon, sounded through the vault, accompanied with an efHuvium so horrible—so nauseating—so stifling, as —_ “What the devil could that have been, Joe?” de- manded the Big Beggarman, throwing a stealthy look around him, as if he almost expected to see some hideous shape emerging from the obscurity that reigned beyond the scope of the lamp-light. “TI should say that it was Satan warning us not to trespass in his domains,” answered the Magsman, with an ineffectual attempt st a chuckle: for the fellow was se bewildered by a din to him utterly unaccountable as to be really frightened, although he endeavoured to put a good face upon the matter. “Banish your fears,” said the nobleman, who had remained silest for a few minutes in order mest pro- bably that the recent occurrence should have time to produce a certam effect upon the men and induce them to abstain from that horrible langage in which | they had indulged in the vault and which sounded like tremendous blasphemy in his ears; but now perceiving that the incidest was not calculated to produce any such beneficial effect, he thought it nse- less to delay any longer an explanation of the pheao- menon which had frightened them. “The noise which startled us all three,” he accordingly continued, “and which drove us so quickly from the vault, was caused by the sudden explosion of a leaden coffi” * Well— I'm blowed if ever I should have thonght of that!” exclaimed the By “I¢ is nevertheless a2 [ tell you,” resnmed the nobleman; “and you can now understand likewise the cause of the dreadfal odour which assailed us at the same moment that the dia fell upon oar ears. It ‘ the efflaviam, and not from the explosive t I beat s0 rapid a retreat. But we may now o the vault.” { en once more in the subterranean, they per- ._ __. hat one of the coffins on the uppermost row at the farther extremity, had burst completely open, and that a half decomposed corpse was exposed to view. A shudder passed visibly over the nobler-.an'’s frame—for his hand trembled so violently that he nearly dropped the lantern: but, regaining hs composure with a great effort, he averted his eyes from the ghastly spectacle, and began to examine the plates on the coffins of the highest tier on the right hand side fromm the entrance. While thus engaged, his back was turned towards the Magsman and the Big Beggarman: but every other instant he cast a rapid glance fartively around to assure himself that they were contemplating ne treachery of any kind. In a few minutes he dis- covered the particular coffin-plate which, as it ap- peared, he sought: and, while his eyes lingered upon the inscription, the Magsman, who on his side had been rigidly though unsuspectedly watching ail hus movements, suddenly plucked off a signet-ring from one of the rotting fingers of the corpse that lay e#- posed in the broken leaden coffin. This was the work of an instant; the nobletiih saw it not—and, while the Big Beggarman nodded approvingly, Joe Warren secured the ring, in his , COMIGCBOOKS COMM