The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 376: what you’re looking at

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

THE SMEDLEYS AGAIN 345 “But, mother-in-law,” faltered forth Jack Smedley, with a countenance white as a sheet, “‘ would you hang your own daughter? ”’ ‘“‘ She leaves me here to be hanged,’ retorted the woman, fiercely; ‘‘she does not come near me.” “She has sent you plenty of money, mother-in-law,” interposed Jack, in accents of remonstrance and deprecation. “Yes, to fee counsel in a hopeless cause,’’ cried Mrs. Webber. ‘“ I tell you what it is; I feel in that state of mind that I could wreak a vengeance upon the whole world. All the bonds of kith and kin are broken; I know nobody but enemies. That is my state of mind. And if you had the gibbet looming ever before your eyes, if you had a sensation as of a cord ever around your neck, if you had night and day to look death in the face, — you, Jack Smedley, would feel even worse than I do. It is enough to drive one crazed — crazed — crazed.” Again the old woman rocked herself to and fro, and her son-in-law felt as if his purpose were completely frustrated. He knew not what to say next; there was a perfect consterna- tion in his mind. He thought that she might even denounce him as the accomplice of her numerous crimes, the instant the turnkey should come back to conduct him away from her cell. ‘‘ Jack Smedley,” she said, at length breaking a some- what long pause, “‘ tell me for what purpose you have come here now. If I thought it was to serve me in any way, if I thought you had the courage to furnish me the means of escape — ”’ “Tell me what those means are, mother-in-law,’’ quickly ejaculated the gold-beater, ‘‘ and I promise you they shall be forthcoming. Do you want a file, a crowbar, a rope ladder — ”’ “ Fool,’”’ interrupted the old woman with bitterest scorn, “how can I, a poor, weak, feeble creature, reduced to the mere shadow of what I was,— how can I accomplish that which a strong, powerful, determined man, as the Burker, could only just succeed in effecting? No, it is not by such means as those that I may escape hence. But there is some- thing which will enable me to evade the ordeal of trial, the horror of condemnation, ay, and that last hideous frightful scene which I shudder to contemplate. And more too, — it CORNICLOO© SS (CO)