The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 84: what you’re looking at

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

66 THE COURT OF LONDON The Hangman grew frightened. Even while Ernestina was giving faint and feeble utterance to these last words, he was struck by the visible change which had come over her, and there was also something that alarmed him in the tone of her voice. Yet he was undecided how to act. To leave her then and there was to abandon the vengeance which he had resolved to wreak, and how could he give up all idea of revenge for what he considered to be the wrongs he had experienced? ‘That he was already sufficiently avenged by the brutal outrages perpetrated on the unhappy lady, he did not think. He sought to drag her through all the mire, pollution, and filth of a brothel in Bermondsey, for it was only by the consummate degradation of the high- born, titled, and beautiful lady that his fiendish malice and diabolic vindictiveness could be appeased. While he was standing by the side of the couch, uncertain how to act, Ernestina had averted her countenance, and shading her eyes with one of her white hands, she lay as if in extremities, her breath coming with quick, uneasy gasp- ings, and all the lower part of her countenance looking as if the seal of death were already impressed upon it. ‘‘ Come, now, what does this mean? ”’ demanded the Hang- man, gruffly, endeavouring, as it were, to conceal his fears even from himself beneath a display of his savage temper. ‘“ What’s the matter with you? ”’ “T tell you I am dying,”’ answered Ernestina, in a voice that was scarcely audible. ‘‘ Heavens! will you not suffer me to die in peace? ”’ Daniel Coffin was now too seriously alarmed to permit him to remain undecided any longer; and thinking that the best course he could adopt would be to take his departure as promptly as possible, he without another word snatched up his hat, flung it upon his head, and stole forth from the room. Descending the stairs, he boldly traversed the hall, and the moment the porter emerged from his great leathern sentry-box in which he was wont to Bit and doze, Coffin said, “‘ I’m a friend of Mr. Brockman’s.’ The porter recollected having seen the Hangman before, but still he could not help gazing suspiciously upon him, Coffin accordingly drew the crowbar out of his pocket, and gave the domestic a tap on the head which at once stretched him senseless on the marble floor of the hall. (CO) COMICMOoOoks