The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 71: what you’re looking at

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

C4 rr eau say is I can’t believe mine—because it seemed to me that he was asleep as sound as a rock.” “Well, then,” rejoined Madge doggedly, “I can tell you that he did. I was closest to him and I saw him open his eyes.” | “ And suppose he did,” exclaimed Chiffin, “ what then? why did that prevent us from doing his business??? “T don’t know how it was, but a sudden weak- ness came upon me,” answered Madge. “I could not find it in my heart mn “Oh! that be hanged!” growled Chifin, “I don’t believe it for a minute—it’s all nonsense. A sudden weakness over you, Madge? Why, you must take me for a downright fool——” “Never mind what I take you for, Chiffin,” in- terrupted the woman, with a look and manner which showed that she was not to be frightened by him: “I tell you that some strange feeling of re- morse, or pity, or fear—I dont know which it was —but perhaps all three united—came over me at the time, and I could not possibly do the deed or yet let it be done. It seemed as if an invisible hand was stretched out to save him ” “Well, I don’t know what to think of it,” ob- served Chiffin sullenly: “ it’s astrange story, Madge, to come from your lips.” “And I am a strange woman too—am ‘I not?” she demanded abruptly. “You yourself said so just now.” “And so you are—andl it’s perhaps on that ac- count you suddenly took it into your queer head to let the young fellow go. Well,” he continued, re- filling his glass with brandy-and-water, “ I suppose what you say must be the case; and if you only keep your word and come down with the blunt to- morrow night, I shan’t bother myself any longer about your strange conduct of just now.” “You may rely upon my punctuality,” said Madge. “At nine o’clock I will be in Agar Town. But while we were crossing the field, you said something about having ‘done business for one of the Saxondale family several years ago.” “And so lI did,” answered Chiffn; “and now I recollect, it was just about this time nineteen years back. But it wasn’t exactly for any one bearing the name of Saxondale—the old lord was alive then —and this’ covey who was -here to-night was only Just born.” “T recollect you mentioned the name of a person called Farefield,” said Madge. “ Yes—Ralph Farefield,” rejoined Chiffn: “it was him that employed me. Ah! itis arum affair altogether, and I never could make out how that Ralph Farefield came by his death.” “A strange affair, was it?” said Madge Somers. ““Come, Chiffin, your glass is empty; and although it’s late you are accustomed to sit up, and we may as well have a friendly chat while we are about it. Besides, I mean to have a glass myself. So come, that I had fulfilled his mission. refill your own.” action to the word. “ Let’s see—what were we talking about?” said Madge, who had likewise brewed a glass for her- self. “Oh! I remember—that strange story of the Saxondale family nineteen years ago. Come, I am just in a humour for a good gossip to-night.” SS | THE MYSTERIES QF THE COURT. Madge,” said Chiffin: “for generally speaking you ain’t accustomed to talk more than is necessary.” “Oh! but people are not always in the saying humour,” said the woman. “ Well, that’s true,” remarked Chiffin. “I my- self don’t generally chatter and talk about my ex- ploits, except when I am preciously in the wind— and then I let out everything. Did I ever tell you,” asked the ruffian, on whom the frequent potations of brandy-anil-water were producing an effect, “how it was I come to be called the Cannibal ?” ““Yes—you have told me that story,” returned Madge; “and it 1s precisely because you told it so well, that I want to know about this other business of which you are speaking—I mean the Saxondale affair.” * Well, come, I will tell you all about it,” said the Cannibal. “ You must know that Ralph Fare- field was the old lord’s nephew, and was a sad wild fellow, who ran through a lot of money and spoke ill of his uncle. So the old lord was resolved to cut him out, and went and married a young girl all in a great hurry. By her he had three clildren—two daughters and a son. Now this didn’t suit Myr. Ralph’s book at all, because the little Edmund would succeed to the peerage and estates. So Ralph determined to have him made away with; and some- how or other he found me out. Well, I wasn’t over particular, and Ralph had gold enough to tempt me: besides which I looked to the future, and thought that if through me Ralph got to be Lord Saxondale it would be as good as a pension as long as I lived. So I soon fell into Ralph’s plans, and agreed to act. I and some of my pals were to go down into Lin- colnshire, carry off the brat, poison it, and then leave the body in some public place where it was sure to be seen: because, don’t you understand, Mr. Ralph could scarcely claim to be the heir unless the death of little Edmund was proved? Well, me and the pals went down into Lincolnshire ; but for sume days we didn’t sueceed—and as I began to fear that so many suspicious-looking fellows lurking about might cause an alarm and spoil the whole game, I told them to pack off to Gainsborough, which was only a few miles away, and there wait for me.” Here Chiffin paused to imbibe some more aleoho- lic fluid, which having done, he pursued his narra- tive in the following manner :— “The moment I began to act alone, I had good luck: for I succeeded in carrying off the child from its nurse. frightenec the poor girl terribly—so that she fell down in a fit, while I ran away as hard as I could with the baby in my arms. [I soon slipped the mask off my face, and made straight for a grove that I saw at a distance. Having reached it, I sat down to rest, and also to do the remainder of my work—which was to kill the child and strip it of its outer clothes so as to give Ralph Farefield a proof I had a black mask on my face and © But when I felt — in my pocket for the little phial of poison, I found — “T don’t mind if I do,” said Chiffin, suiting the it broke; and so I thought to myself there was | nothing left to do but to tie a string round the little | creature’s neck and strangle it. stripping the clothes off first,+ stuffing them into my pockets asI did so; and then I noticed that the child had the mark of a strawberry on its neck. However, I began | |A very singular mark it was—so singular that I | “Thea it’s a very strange humour of yours, couldn't help looking at it, though it was buta ting CloOOkKKS (E() oy