The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 325: what you’re looking at

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a ee THE MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. ee was still employed in binding the Baronet’s limbs. “ T must make this fellow fast, so that he may give no trouble when he comes to himself, But I say, Sal,—and you too, Jack,—mind—no murder up above there! If you find Nell Gibson, which I don’t suppose you will, as the place is so quiet— but if you do, I say, make her your prisoner : be- | gause we will wait till all the other fellows come back before dealing with either her or this Baronet here.” But before he had even finished speaking, Sally Melmoth had ascended the stairs, closely followed by Jack the Foundling. On reaching the top, they pushed open the great clumsy door: and bursting in, they were struck with amazement on beholding a young creature of about seventeen, and of exquisite beauty, sleeping tranquilly upon the wretched couch spread on the floor. We should pow observe that when the fair stranger had relapsed into a state of unconscious- ness, in the manner already described, Nell Gibson had done her best to restore her to life. She soon succeeded: but so weak and exhausted was the lovely damsel in consequence of the fall she had sustained from the coach-top, that she only awoke from a state of insensibility to fall into one of pro- found slumber. Finding that she thus slept calmly, Nell Gibson had returned to her seat at the table, where she regaled herself with another glass of brandy. The effects of the liquor which she had imbibed so copious!v, soon exhibited themselves in a deep drowsiness: and she fell fast asleep in a sort of nook or recess where the table stood. So sound was her slumber that she had not heard the arrival of the Hangman’s party—nor even the noise of the outrage upon the Baronet in the room below: but when the door of the upper chamber was burst open by Sally Melmoth and Jack the Foundling, Nell Gibson awoke from her nap. In the dulness and drowsiness which hung about her after so insufficient an amount of sleep, and with the fumes of liquor still obscuring her brain, she did not immediately observe who the persons were thus entering the chamber. But in a few moments her sight grew clearer—her ideas more collected: and rising from her seat, she beheld Sally Melmoth and Jack the Foundling. “Ah! what—are you here?” she exclaimed, addressing herself familiarly to the Hangman’s mistress: but instantaneously perceiving that this woman carried a knife in her hand, and that her countenance was positively hideous with the dis- tortions and workings of dire passion, Nell Gibson saw that something was wrong: with admirable presence of mind, however, she said, “ What is the matter ?” “Who is that girl?” demanded Sally, glancing down towards the fair stranger. , “What do you mean by coming up here to me svith that knife in your hand, and with these fero- cious looks?” asked Nell Gibson, her own spirit rising and her eyes flashing fire upon the Hang- man’s mistress, But before any further words were exchanged between the two women, the Hangman himself, having finished binding the Baronet’s limbs, made his appearance in the chamber, and was as much struck as Sally Melmoth and the Foundling had been on observing the sweet girl, who, startled by Se —-— eee ———- —-—— - - ——- => oll the sound of angry voices, was now opening her eyes in alarm. “Here is the traitress!” exclaimed Sally Mel- moth, pointing savagely with the knife towards Nell Gibson. “Traitress! who do you dare call a traitress?” cried the young woman, fortified—or rather ren. dered desperate—by the brandy she had imbibed so plentifully. “Ah! we have got your Baronet, Miss Nelly— we have brought him back with us, I can tell you |” exclaimed the Hangman’s mistress in & jeering and taunting tone. A livid paleness overspread Nell Gibson’s coun- tenance as she saw that her proceeding of that night with regard to Sir Douglas Huntingdon, was thus positively known: and bold though she naturally was—armed too as she now likewise was with an artificial stimulant—she nevertheless felt her heart sink down completely within her, for she knew full well that her’s was a treachery which her companions in crime seldom forgave, and the punishment of which was death! “ Ah! you see that she is guilty—her looks be- tray her!” yelled forth the infuriate Sally Mel- moth: and raising her knife, she sprang like a tiger-cat towards Nell Gibson, who, cruelly alarmed, fled screaming horribly into the nook where the table stood. “Do not murder her, Sal!” cried the Hang- man, in a voice of thunder, as he seized upon his enraged mistress and threw his arms round her to hold her back, while Jack the Foundling pro- ceeded to wrest the knife from her grasp. But here we must observe that although only just awakened from a profound slumber, the fair stranger was nevertheless startled into the fullest consciousness by the fearful scene that thus sud- denly burst upon her vision. Instantaneously comprehending that instead of being beneath some hospitable roof, she was in a den of murder- ous miscreants, the affrighted girl sprang up from the bed and rushed to the door. Terror—the keenest, acutest, most poignant terror—gave her wings that made her movements rapid as the lightning-flash : and all her senses being suddenly endowed with the most vivid clearness, in this mo- ment of life or death, it was no wonder if she observed that on the outer side of the chamber- door there was a large bolt. With admirable presence of mind she dashed the door to, and with her taper fingers shot the boit into its socket: then precipitating herself down the stairs, not knowing what obstacles she might have to en- counter, she alighted in the chamber below. At first it struck her as being empty: but an ejaculation of mingled surprise and entreaty reached her ears—and then her eyes fell upon the Baronet who had just returned to consciousness, Without wasting a single moment in words, the courageous girl proceeded to action: and observ- ing that a cupboard stood open, she threw a rapid glance upon its shelves, A knife was what she sought for—and a knife did she find accordingly. In another instant she was upon her knees, cutting the cords which bound the Baronet’s limbs, It was a moment of awful suspense aud excru- ciating alarm for both. The Hangman was thun- dering at the door above, evidently dashing himself with all the weight of his form against it,—while the ee ee See ee — rr ———— i a COMMICLHOOkKS (CO)