The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 176: what you’re looking at

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

THE WITNESSES 155 captive in the hands of justice, and how you furnished him the means of effecting his escape.’’ » ~ The Burker, who was seated next to Mrs. Oxenden, gave a sort of low, subdued growl as he removed the mask and revealed his hideous countenance to the duke. The nobleman had already recognized him, but had scarcely fancied that he could have told so much, and therefore it was indeed another and severer blow which thus struck the guilty March- mont. ‘““ And now,’ continued Queen Indora, “ for the last of these witnesses who in this place ’’— and she emphasized the word “ this ’’ — “ may be specified as one who can bear fearful evidence against you. In more than one instance has she been the agent and accomplice of your iniquities. It was by her insidious representations that my unfortunate de- pendent Sagoonah, who is now no more, was led to meditate murder in respect to myself. Yes, prisoner, you see that your crimes in all their details and phases are well known to me. That woman, the only one who now remains veiled, has borne testimony against you, as the rest have already borne it. But she has spoken of things relating to which these others who are present have not been enabled to speak. Do you remember that one evening you by appointment met this man ’’ — and the queen pointed toward the Burker — ‘in a lane near a certain villa on Brixton Hill? Do you remember likewise that angry words took place between yourself and that man, that he demanded more of you than you chose to give, that you drew forth your purse to bestow upon him a portion of its contents, but that he, being re- solved to possess himself of the whole, felled you from your horse? You see that he at least has maintained no reserve in respect to anything that concerns you. Nor has that woman. Do you recollect, prisoner, I will proceed to ask, that you were borne to the villa unto which I have already alluded, and that for some while you remained there insens!- ble? Yes, you recollect all this. But you have yet to learn, prisoner, that in the first moments of your reviving con- sciousness you suffered words to escape your lips, or, rather, they involuntarily flowed from the very fountains of your troubled conscience; and those words, prisoner, were heard by Madame Angelique, who was in attendance upon you. Fearful indeed were those words, and to a fearful crime ] COnnICLOOoOKS (©)