The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 358: what you’re looking at

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THE MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. grrr ELE ESE EE eee objects. The next minute brought them up to the spot—where, to the unspeakable horror and dismay of Mr. Gunthorpe and Deveril, and to the astonish- ment of Chiffin, they beheld the forms of two females stretched upon the ground. “The same we saw at the cottage!” ejaculated Mr. Gunthorpe, as soon as he could recover the power of speech—while Deveril, stooping down, pronounced life to be extinct in both. The countenance of the unfortunate Emily Archer was dreadfully disfigured, the pistol-bullet having evidently penetrated her forehead, shattering all the upper part of her head. The soubrette had been killed by a ball penetrating her heart—for that side ot her dress was saturated with blood. It was a sad—a ghastly —a shocking spectacle: and both Mr. Gunthorpe and our hero shuddered from head to foot, as if stricken with an ice-chill. ‘ Well, I’m blowed,” said Chiffin the Cannibal, “if it isn’t a deuced lucky thing for me that I was with you gentlemen at the time: or else you would have been sure to say it was me as did it.” ‘What, in the name of heaven, is to be done P” exclaimed Deveril, addressing himself to Mr. Gun- thorpe, but glancing towards Chiffin: then in the Italian language he said, quickly and whisperingly, “If this man is seen with us, we shall be accused of the deed!” Ff “True,” replied Mr. Gunthorpe, now recovering his presence of mind, but still trembling from head to foot with feelings of indescribable horror: then thrusting his hand into his pocket, he drew forth a quantity of notes and gold, and giving them to Chiffin, said, “Begone! Stay not here for another moment—vor no power on earth could make the authorities of justice believe that you are innocent of this!” “Right enough!” ejaculated the Cannibal, clutch- ing the money with avidity. “ But what about the business yonder ?”—and he jerked his thumb over his shoulder towards the castle. “Ts it possible that you think of staying in this neighbourhood P” demanded Mr. Gunthorpe. * No—I should rather think not,” was the Can- nibal’s quick response. “Then away with you!” cried both Mr. Gun- thorpe and William Deveril in a breath. Chiffin sped off across the fields, away from the vicinage of the river, and was speedily lost to the view. The colloquy just recorded had scarcely occupied a minute—during which Deveril looked about.in every direction to see if he could discover the slight- est trace of the path which the murderer or mur- derers had pursued: but there was no indication to lead him to any such discovery. Indeed, it was evident enough that the flight of the author or authors of the terrible deed must have been exceed- ingly precipitate: for at the moment when Gun- thorpe, Deveril, and Chiffin had first come up to the spot, no sound of retreating footsteps had met their ears—no form vanishing in the distance had caught their glance. One circumstance Deveril now observed—which was, that the parcel the sou- brette carried in her hand when at the cottage, had disappeared. * Now what is to be done, sir?” asked Deveril, so soon as the Cannibal had taken his deparvure. “Hasten you to the hut, and bid the peasant 343 repair with all possible speed to Gainsborough—or else to the nearest county magistrate—that infor- mation may be given.” * And you will remain here?” asked Deveril. “ Yes—certainly,” rejoined Mr.Gunthorpe. “ We must take care that the bodies of these unfortunate women are not touched until the authorities have seen them.” * But if the murderers should return, you might not be safe? Suffer me to wait here and keep watch, while you repair to the cottage.” “No such thing, William! Do as I bid you. Begone at once!”—and Mr. Gunthorpe spoke in a very peremptory manner. Deveril accordingly offered no farther remon- strance—but hastened back to the cottage, which was about a mile distant. The inmates were just shutting up the place in preparation for retiring to rest: but they were not as yet in bed. Deveril ' knocked loudly and impatiently with his clenched hand at the door; and when it was opened, his pale countenance and horrified looks at once showed that something dreadful had occurred. His tale was quickly told; and it naturally pro- duced consternation and dismay on the part of the old woman, her son, and daughter. The man himself, as soon as he had regained his self- possession, at once declared his readiness to hasten to Gainsborough with whatsoever message Deveril thought it right to send; and our hero accord- ingly bade him use all possible despatch and in- form the local constabulary of what had occurred. The peasant set off on his errand; and William Deveril hastened to rejoin Mr. Gunthorpe, whom he found pacing to and fro on the bank of the river close by the spot where the murdered women lay stretched. Two hours elapsed, during which Mr. Gunthorpe and our hero remained upon the scene of the awful crime that had been perpetrated. But little was the conversation that passed between them: their feelings were too highly wrought—too full of horror and consternation—to enable them to enter upon deliberate discourse. As for any con- jecture relative to the author or authors of the crime, they could offer none. It was indeed shrouded in the darkest, deepest mystery: for ac- cording to the appearance presented by the bodies of the murdered women, it was evident their persons had not been rifled. To add to the utter discomfort of the positi.a of the gentlemen, the sky grew overcast and the rain began to fall—at first only drizzling, but in a little while descending more sharply—until at length it poured down in torrents. They had noum- brellas: but they stood up under the thick canopy of a neighbouring tree, and thus avoided being completely drenched by the rain. At the expiration of the two hours they heard persons advancing along the bank of the river from the direction of Gainsborough; and half a dozen individuals soon made their appearance. These consisted of a magistrate, a surgeon, and some constables, accompanied also by the peasant. In a few words Mr. Gunthorpe explained to the magistrate the circumstances under which himself and Deveril had discovered the nrurder. The lanterns which the constables had with them, were lighted,—the position in which the bodies lay was Fr a eee —— COMIC OOO S (CO)