The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 275: what you’re looking at

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

REVELATIONS OF THE MONSTER-MAN 245 “ Why not? Oh! but I am,” exclaimed Meagles, his curiosity now becoming acutely painful and poignantly torturing. ‘‘ Come — proceed.”’ “ And if I relate deeds as frightful as those to which a faint allusion ere now made you shudder visibly — ”’ ‘‘ T shall not be shocked, I am prepared for them now.” “ Tis well. Would you like to know, before I begin, who was the perpetrator of those horrors, the fiend that committed those ghastly deeds? Ifso, I can tell you, for I know him —” ‘‘ Who is he? ” said Meagles, his knees quivering and his teeth chattering with cold horror. ‘“‘ I!’ was the terrible answer. Tim Meagles bounded upon his seat, as if suddenly gal- vanized, or as if a frightful pang had suddenly shot through his entire frame. , ‘‘ T told you, sir,”’ said Melmoth, with a ferocious coolness, ‘‘ that you were not half-prepared to listen to such a history as mine. Farewell; I will depart!” and he rose from his seat with a gesture of impatience. ‘“‘ No, stay, I conjure you,’ exclaimed Meagles, now re- covering himself. Then, swallowing two bumpers of wine, the one close upon the other, he said, ‘‘ Pardon the excite- ment which I manifested, and believe me now when I sol- emnly aver that I am prepared at length to hear all and everything you may have to relate.”’ “‘ You are the best judge of your own nerves, after all,” ‘said Melmoth, resuming his seat. ‘‘ Listen, then, and inter- rupt me as little as possible; because I easily lose the thread of my narrative, as my brain is not always as clear and collected as I could wish. Well, then, you remember that night on which you and I were put into the boat at Woolwich and taken off to the Diana as she lay at anchor. I managed to get off my chains, and, watching the opportunity, I plunged into the river. Down, down, under the ship’s bottom I dived, all my wits about me, my memory as keen and my mental perception as clear while thus engulfed, as ever my faculties were strong and lucid in the soberest and calmest moments of my life. I swam under the ship in the lengthwise direction in which she lay, and emerged close by her helm. There I remained clinging to the chains of the rudder for a few minutes, while the hubbub caused by my frolic lasted. Lights were hung over, and I dived again; > CONMUC OOO) <S m