The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 320: what you’re looking at

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

| ; | | | | | eens he rss Sg rp teense LL —— - — -_—— a 306 “andl when he had assured me that there would be nomistake on that head,” she continued, “I asked him whether he chose to lie down to rest or to partake of any refreshment.” “And that was all that took place?” said the Buttoner, still keeping his eyes steadily fixed upon her. “ That was all,” she answered, the colour neither coming nor going now upon her cheeks, nor her lip betraying even the slightest uneasiness. “ Bae whatever mischief may follow from this escape,’ she observed in a tone of vexation mingled with reproach, “you and the others have only got yourselves to thank for it. You should have made the door fast, and nde left the me an opportunity to fly out of his cage.” “ By jingo! what you say is true enough, Nell,” exclaimed the Buttoner, feeling how justly merited was the remonstrance: then advancing to the door, which still stood wide open, he listened with sus- pended breath, while with straining eyes he en- deavoured to penetrate the pitchy blackness of the night. “Well, can you hear anything?” asked the young woman, as he turned back again from the door, leaving it however wide open. “Nothing —not even the rustling of the branches,” he replied, with a terrible imprecation. “Do you know, Nell, this is a very serious busi- ness and may end cursed badly? Like infernal fools that we were, we once or twice let slip each other’s names; and so, what with kaowing these, and being able to describe our precious faces, this swell cove, if he makes good his escape, will be able to give such information against us as shall make Loudon too hot to hold us. Then, my eyes! won’t Larry indeed have something to be down upon us for !” “How proyoking,” ejaculated Nell Gibson ; “and just at the time, too, that I was getting Larry Sampson into such a nice state of cre- dulity, that a few days more would entice him into the trap as safe and sure as possible!” “Ves—it is deucedly provoking,” growled the Buttoner: and once more he went to the threshold and listened attentively. “ There’s not a sound, not even the waving of the trees :” and again turning away from the door, he tossed off a bumper of brandy. “ What must we do?” inquired Nell, appearing to be very uneasy, although in her heart she knew full well that the Baronet would not be guilty of such black ingratitude as to give any information to the authorities calculated to compromise her- self. “What must we do?” echoed her paramour: “why, if our pals come back without the swell cove, we must get away from here as quick as ever we can. Who knows but what he may cut across to Greenwich and come back at once with a whole posse of constables? Or perhaps he may meet some travellers on the road—— * Aye, truly!” cried Nell, affecting to be very seriously alarmed. “Let us go away at once, There's no use in staying here to be taken. Ben- cull and the others will know very well how to shift for themselves. Suppose we go down to the Jolly Waggoner, where Daniel Coffin and his party are.’ “Well, go up-stairs and put on your toggery,” THE MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. _ interrupted the Buttoner, really beginning t think that it was high time to make themselves scarce, Nell Gibson accordingly tripped up to the room above: but scarcely had she adjusted her bonnet | and thrown her flaunting scarf over her previously much exposed shoulders and bosom, when she heard | the sounds of voices below—and recognising Ben- cull’s hoarse tones, she hastened down-stairs again, sick at heart with the apprehension that Siz Douglas had been re-taken. Bencull, Bob the Durrynacker, and the Mash- room Faker had indeed returned, as Nell had just | expected: but instead of being accompanied by the Baronet, the first-mentioned of the three ruffians bore i in bis arms the inanimate form of a beautiful girl, while one of the othees carried in his hand a bundle tied up in a shawi. “Whatin the devil’s name does this mean?” demanded the Buttoner, surveying his comrades with surprise and the senseless damsel with a look of admiration. “ Here’s a present for Nell,” said Bencull, with a salacious leer as he looked down upon the still and placid countenance of his fair burthen, ‘“ Nell will break her in, i “Aye, that will I!” exclaimed the young wo- man, who was not only immensely relieved at fiuding her fears unfounded with regard to the re- capture of the Baronet, but who was also much struck with the sweet, touching, and interesting beauty of the fair stranger, a charms she already resolved upon turning into gold. * Mrs. — SS eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeEE——EEEEEE ee ee Gale will give twenty guineas for this young crea- | ture: and I daresay the Marquis of Leveson, who is Mrs. Gale’s best patron, will give her at least five times as much. Bat come—bring her up stairs and lay her down on the bed: for this swoon is so deep that it may be dangerous.” Bencull accordingly bore the beauteous girl in his arms to the chamber above; while Nell Gibson followed with the bundle which she took from the Mushroom Faker who was carrying it. The fair stranger was deposited softly and gently upon the heap of flock; and Nell Gibson, stooping down, unfastened her bonnet, which was much crushed, so as to give her air. A luxuriant profusion of soft and fine faxen tresses now flowed over the wretched coverlid, whereon reclined the damsel’s beauteous head: colouring had fled from her countenance, leaving it marble pale, and her eyes were closed as if in death, so still were the long brown lashes that rested on her cheeks,—yet was there an air of such Madonna-like sweetness and angelic beauty about this lovely girl, that only a heart so in- tensely selfish as that ‘of Nell Gibson, or so brutally ferocious as that of Bencull, could have ao — se ae we wee te. ee ee and though all tint of vital | remained inaccessible to the soft stealing influence © and silent magic of such charms. The damsel was tall, slender, and of sylphid symmetry. Her apparel, plain, was very neat: and as she lay stretched upon that sordid couch, her drapery, humble as it was, seemed to have settled itself in purely classic folds, developing the flowing outlines of the form which it concealed, and displaying the exquisite nnn of the beautifully medelled limbs. It was not however in such an qsthetic light that Nell Gibson contemplated the sweetly re- though exceedingly — (€@) ~- CONMICDOOKS