The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 282: what you’re looking at

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

252 THE COURT OF LONDON “Well, I will continue, then,’”’ said Melmoth, after a few moments’ hesitation. ‘‘ The thoughts and reflections of which I have been speaking prepared me for the pursuance of that campaign which I had commenced in Old St. Pancras Churchyard, and I resolved to cumulate horror upon horror for the purpose of startling society. Therefore, when night again spread her sable wing over the earth, I took my spade and bent my way toward the eastern end of the metropolis. In Shoreditch Churchyard — a cemetery situated in the midst of a densely populated neighbourhood —I made my second assault upon the innocent, unconscious dead. When morning dawned a grave was found to have been vio- lated, —its tenant dragged up and horribly mangled. The outrage was incredible, — it exceeded all possibility of belief. The rumour of the St. Pancras affair had reached Shoreditch, but was treated with ridicule; now the same stupendous atrocity was brought to the very doors of the skeptics and scoffers, yet they did not believe until they crowded to the churchyard and beheld with their own eyes the open grave, the shattered coffin, and the mutilated body. Then they were all stricken with an awful consterna- tion, and they looked at each other in dumb horror, as if the plague had suddenly broken out amongst them. Oh, it was a glee, it was ecstasy, it was delirious pleasure for me! I went into the public-houses and heard the frequenters of those places talking upon the subject, — their tones low and solemn. I passed down the streets and beheld ghastly amazement and blank terror depicted upon every counte- nance that appeared at a window or a doorway. Heavens! how my vengeance was working! I had been trodden upon as a worm, — a miserable, wretched worm, whose loss from the social aggregate would not be missed, and who might therefore be safely trampled and crushed out of existence; but, behold!. this worm had made itself potent enough to strike terror into the hearts of thousands! Was that no tri- umph? Was that no source of joy? Assuredly it was; and therefore you need not be surprised if I tell you that on the third night of my savage campaign, I sallied forth again, I betook myself to another cemetery, and St. Matthew’s, Bethnal Green, became the theatre of my hellish revelry. Oh, then-and there I rollicked like a fiend in my unholy pas- time, and I vented my rage upon the tenants of two graves! GOmicdoo cS