The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 322: what you’re looking at

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—— oe eee oe me eee ee | | | | | | | | | 308 THE will turn her to precious good advantage,” said the Buttoner. “But wouldn’t it have been much better to go on looking after the swell cove, than to bother one’s-self about young gals pitched from the top of stage-coaches 2” “This Huntingdon chap, you see, has slipped be- twixt our fingers,” said the Mushroom Faker: “ and to think of looking any longer for him in the midst of this dark night was about as wise as to hunt for a needle in a haystack.” «Then we must all bolt off at once,” said the Buttoner: “or else the swell-cove will p’r’aps come back with a posse of beaks at his heels.” “ Now, then—who’s giving way to idle fears like that there ?2—and where the deuce is the swell cove to get assistance or raise an alarm at this time of night 2?” demanded Bencull, who had just descended from the chamber above. “ The circumstance of his knowing our precious names and having seen all our beautiful faces is the worst: cos why, it will make London too hot to hold us. Now then, I tell you what we will do,” he continued, speaking with great rapidity. ‘“There’s no doubt this Baro- net ce “ Baronet!” ejaculated the Butttoner. d’ye know he’s a Baronet ?”” “Why, your young woman says so,” answered Bencuil. ‘Ah! Nell said so, did she?” observed the But- toner, all his suspicions flaming up again, more vividly than ever, in his mind: but not deeming the present time a favourable opportunity to mention his misgivings, he said, “ Well, go on, Bencull: what are we to do ?—what do you advise 2” “ Why, I should think,” continued the landlord of the dark crib at Jacob’s Island, “that the Baro- net must have got down into the main road oy this time: so either he is making for Dartford or else for Greenwich. Whichever it is, he must be over- took and done for, come what will. Now then, you and me, Buttoner, will cut right through the thicket and take the Dartford direction—while you two,” he added, addressing himself to the Durrynacker and the Mushroom Faker, “set off towards Greenwich. This is what we ought to have done at first: but it’s better Jate than never—and we're pretty sure to overtake him.” “J'll just run up and let Nell know what we are doing,” said the Buttoner. “Don’t stay a moment, then,” observed Bencull. The Buttoner hastened up-stairs and found Nell Gibson hanging over the fair stranger, just at the moment that the latter had sunk down again into “ How | a state of insensibility, as already described. “Pm going off in pursuit of that swell cove, Nell,” said the Buttoner, in a hurried manner and without suffering her to perceive that his sus- picions were aroused again: “for Bencull says it must be done, and so we mean to dog him until we find him. You must stay here till we come back.” Nell Gibson dared not venture a word of remon- strance against this renewal of the pursuit after Sir Douglas Huntingdon: and on the other hand she | experienced in reality no fears for her own safety in remaining at the hut, inasmuch as we have al- ready said she was well convinced that the Baronet would adopt no extreme course calculated to com- promise herself. The Buttoner, having made her acquainted with ————— mcm Cl lll LAL LALA ALLL LLL LL, MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. the intended expedition, paused not to speak another word, but hastened down to rejoin his companions. They then all four issued from the hut, leaving Nell Gibson alone with the fair stranger, CHAPTER LXXXI, “TOE JOLLY WAGGONER,.’—BRESH PERILS. WE must now return to Sir Douglas Hunting- don, who was destined this night to pass through so many strange and perilous adventures. Atthe moment he bounded forth from the hut in the manner already described, he knew full well that pursuit would be instantaneous. Accordingly, instead of rushing away straight a-head and plung- ing into the thicket in the direction of the road, he at once passed round to the back of the cot- tage and there posted himself, remaining as still and motionless as a statue. At the same time he heard his pursuers rushing forth from the door on the other side of the building; and as they at once made for the road, the Baronet had reasou to congratulate himself on the success of his ma- neeuvre. Not for an instant did the rufhans sus- pect that he had remained so near: and not only were they thus thrown completely off the right scent, but they could hear nothing—not a footrfall amongst the dried leaves, nor the snapping of a twig—to mark the course which the fugitive Ba- ronet might have taken. Having suffered several minutes to elapse, Sir Douglas Huntingdon stole away from the vicinity of the cottage : and securing about his person the knife which he had brought with him, he proceeded at random through the intense blackness of the night. The reader will therefore understand that Sir Douglas was now advancing in the very oppo- site direction from that which his pursuers had taken: and while they had become engaged in the adventure of the overturned coach, as already stated, the object of their search was speeding across the fields towards a light that glimmered in the distance. Cheered by the appearance of this ray, which he hoped would prove the beacon of hospitality as well as the harbinger of safety for the rest of the night, Sir Douglas increased his pace: but still he was compelled to advance with considerable cau- tion, lest in the deep darkness which enveloped him he should fajl into some pit, pond, orditch. In about ten minutes he reached a stile, over which he clambered: and he now found himself in what appeared to be a narrow lane, on the other side of which, exactly facing the stile, stood a small build- ing from one of whose lower windows glimmered the light that had guided him thither. He ad- vanced up to the door: and now through the dark- ness of the night he beheld an object hanging, darker than the darkness, over its head. For the moment an indescribable feeling of alarm thrilled coldly through his frame: for it struck him that it was a human corpse thus suspended over-head. But the next instant he perceived by its shape, and also by the creaking sound it sent forth, that it was nothing more nor less than the projecting sign of an inn, or rather alehouse. Encouraged by this discovery in proportion a ee ee ee ——_— oes —————— eee eee EE LL LT —— © aes 0 com (C VOOLKS (€)