The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 360: what you’re looking at

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

346 GHE MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. _—_—— | he managed to get into a secret room of your's where there’s a many dresses—and he also saw a great big book that you’ve got and where you write down everythins that happens. Ha! ha!” laughed the hag, shaking her head significantly; “you see I know something worth you knowing—and you also see, by the same token, that I am telling the truth. Well; in that great book the Hangman read a many things, and all about your dressing up yourself as a knife-grinder and going down to Folly Bridges—that’s Jacob’s Island, you know— and getting chucked into the ditch. So, you see, the Hangman found out that you know a good deal too much to suit him and the rest of the gang; and so he has planted Nell Gibson upon you to ’tice you down to the dark crib, where you'll be done for: and at the same time the Hangman means to come here to your house and set hold of the great bool, so that it mayn’t fall into the hands of any other Bow Street runner.” Larry Sampson certainly was very far from being prepared for all this information: but he outwardly manifested no surprise. Surprised he however really was, to hear that Daniel Coffin had managed to obtain admission to his secret cham- ber: but what he was now told in respect to Nell Gibson, only confirmed certain suspicions which he had previously entertained relative to the pur- _ port of three or four visits which she had paid him. “ Now, Mrs. Franklin,” he said, “I see that you are telling me the truth; and here’s ten guineas _ for you,” added Larry, counting the gold pieces down upon the table. “The next thing you must — do is to let me know how you happened to discover all that is going on, and why you now come and betray the matter tome. Do -this, and you shall have another ten guineas upon the spot.” For years and years past, the wages of crime had not been so abundant at any one period, for Mother Franklin, as the harvest which she was now reaping; and with a chuckle of delight she secured the first ten guineas about her person, and then proceeded to give those explanations that should ensure to her the second two guineas. “Well, Mr. Sampson,” she said, “the truth is that Nell Gibson has always been harsh and bitter towards me; and I hate her—I have long hated her. Then the Hangman, too—he jeered, and taunted, and iaughed at me one night; and I swore to be revenged—for I hate him also. So, seeing that he had something secret to say to Nell Gibson, I listened at the door, Ha! ha!” laughed the hag, with her hideous cackle: ‘my ears were sharp enough ¢ren, I can tell you; and as luck would have it, no one disturbed me in the passage all the time I was listening at the door. So I heard everything that passed: that’s how I came to know what was going on. Ever since—for this was more than three weeks ago—just at the be- ginning of November—ever since then, I say, I have listened, and watched, and peeped, and peered, at all that was going on; and what with catching a word now and a word then, and hearing a bit of a whispered conversation at one time and ® bit at another, I found out that the plot was still going on agin you—that Nell Gibson has been to you several times with a rigmarole tale— and that she fancies you are quite falling into the snare. Well, Mr, Sampson, she’s coming up _ ‘chose, about the Hangman, and Nell Gibson, and to you to-night; and sol managed to get away for a couple of hours on some excuse, just to give you this warning. But if you want again to know why I do it, it is because I hate the Hangman— I hate Nell Gibson also. She has called me a witch—and he has called me a beldame; and she — threatened to leave Mother Young’s establishment if I didn’t hold my tongue—and he tossed me a shilling—a beggarly shilling—as if I was a beggar! And so for all this,’ shrieked forth the hag, raising her voice in a horrible excitement, “I want revenge—I want revenge—and now I shall get it!” The thrilling querulous tone to which her ac- cents had risen, soon merged into a cough, so sharp and convulsing that it almost seemed to shatter the old witch to pieces: and a horrible spectacle was she with her toothless jaws wagging, her head shaking, and the scalding rheum pouring out of her bleared eyes. * Ah! Lcould let youinto a many secrets if I all the rest of the precious gang,” continued the hag: “and I will do it soon too—for they’ve all took to bullying and baiting me just because I am a poor old woman that will be eighty-nine come next Febiverry. But here’s one thing Ill tell you, Mr. Sampson: but pray mind and never say that you heard anything from my lips, or that I peached against them folks rr “Oh! that is an understood thing between you and me,” exclaimed Sampson. “Proceed, Mrs. Franklin, with what you were about to tell me.” * Well, sirj’ she resumed, “from a conversation that I overheard it seems that it was the Hang- man’s party which caused the fire at some Baro- net’s tother night——” “Ah! Sir Douglas Huntingdon’s, you mean,” interjected Sampson. “ But how was that?” “Why,” returned the old hag, ‘the fellows got into the stable with the intention of breaking into the other part of the house; but somehow or an- other their lantern broke, and the light falling on some hay or straw, set the whole place into a blaze. Ha! ha! all their wickednesss shall come out soon; I'll unmask them, the villains—I will !” she cnied, again exalting her voice into a querulous thrill. “But I can’t stay any longer now. I must get back as soon as possible. Another time Ill tell you more. At all events, I’ve told you enow for the present to put you on your guard against your enemies, Mr. Sampson.” Having thus spoken, the harridan received the second ten guineas, and took her departure, mumbling to herself, “Ha! now I shall be re- venged. Daniel Coffin said he should have the satisfaction of tucking me up before he died; but I shall have the pleasure of seeing him swing to the gallows-tree—ha! ha! ha!” About an hour afterwards Nell Gibson was ushered by Dame Margery into the presence of the Bow Street Officer. “ Well, it is for to-night,” said the young woman, the moment the housekeeper had retired and she found herself alone with Larry Sampson. “Ah! it is for to-night, eh?” he said, affecting to fall most credulously into the snare spread to enmesh him, ‘Aud where is the conference to take place ?” “Down at Beneull’s dark crib,” replied Nell ——conmmice oor. ea ee + (E(0)