The Mysteries of London, V. 4/4

Chapter Cx.--Continuation of the Black’s Visits to His

Prisoners 1

CXI.--A Conversation 5

CXII.--The Conversation concluded 10

CXIII.--Esther de Medina and Old Death 12

CXIV.--Old Death in the Dungeon 18

CXV.--Thomas Rainford 20

CXVI.-Old Death 22

CXVII.--An Explanatory Conversation 26

CXVIII.--The Insolvent Debtors’ Court 28

CXIX.--The Examination of Mr. Frank Curtis 32

CXX.--The Lapse of Nineteen Years 36

CXXI.--Mr. Hatfield 41

CXXII.--Two of the Reader’s Old Friends 44

CXXIII.--A Man of Business 46

CXXIV.--Charles Hatfield 48

CXXV.--The Projected Railway Company 53

CXXVI.--Elucidations 58

CXXVII.--The Wanderers 63

CXXVIII.--The Journey continued and concluded 67

CXXIX.--The Advertising Agent 73

CXXX.--Perdita 75

CXXXI.--The Syren’s Arts and Charms 80

CXXXII.--The Dangerous Sophistry of a Lovely Woman 86

CXXXIII.--A Throne Surrounded by Republican Institutions 88

CXXXIV.--A Painful Scene 94

CXXXV.--Charles Hatfield and Mrs. Fitzhardinge 99

CXXXVI.--Infatuation 101

CXXXVII.--Two more Old Acquaintances 107

CXXXVIII.--The Money-lender 109

CXXXIX.--The Miser alone in his Dwelling 112

CXL.--Fresh Scenes and More Troubles at Home 116

CXLI.--The Flight 120

CXLII.--The Dress-maker: a Love Story 123

CXLIII.--Conclusion of the History of a Dress-maker: a Love Story 140

CXLIV.--Dover 144

CXLV.--A Mysterious Occurrence.--The Journey continued 148

CXLVI.--Two Unpleasant Lodgers 151

CXLVII.--The Captain’s Ludicrous Adventure 155

CXLVIII.--The Charterhouse 160

CXLIX.--A Strange Narrative 163

CL.--The Colonel and the Captain 168

CLI.--The Calm--The Tempest 170

CLII.--The Father, the Son, and the Son’s Wife 176

CLIII.--Father and Son 183

CLIV.--Mrs. Fitzhardinge 187

CLV.--The Mother and Daughter 190

CLVI.--The Half-brothers 195

CLVII.--Political Observations.--The Departure of Charles Hatfield 199

CLVIII.--Mrs. Mortimer in London 202

CLIX.--Mrs. Mortimer’s Adventures continued 206

CLX.--The Husband and Wife 210

CLXI.--Agnes Vernon and her Father 213

CLXII.--Laura in Paris 217

CLXIII.--Laura and Rosalie 224

CLXIV.--Laura’s Amour 228

CLXV.--Lord William Trevelyan 232

CLXVI.--A Sketch of Two Brothers.--A Mystery 237

CLXVII.--The Lawyer 242

CLXVIII.--The Nobleman and the Lawyer 246

CLXIX.--A Scene 248

CLXX.--Agnes and Mrs. Mortimer 253

CLXXI.--Jack Rily, the Doctor 258

CLXXII.--A Maiden’s First Love 263

CLXXIII.--Hopes Fulfilled 266

CLXXIV.--A Night of Terrors 269

CLXXV.--The Haunted House in Stamford Street 274

CLXXVI.--Scenes in the Haunted House 277

CLXXVII.--History of the Haunted House in Stamford Street 282

CLXXVIII.--Conclusion of the History of the Haunted Houses 288

CLXXIX.--The Ghost.--Agnes and Mrs. Mortimer 307

CLXXX.--Agnes and Trevelyan 310

CLXXXI.--Explanations 314

CLXXXII.--Laura Mortimer’s New Intrigues 316

CLXXXIII.--An Unexpected Visit and a Dreaded Arrival 320

CLXXXIV.--Laura and her Mother.--Another Interruption 324

CLXXXV.--The Lawyer’s Head Clerk 327

CLXXXVI.--Dr. Swinton 331

CLXXXVII.--The Lunatic Asylum 333

CLXXXVIII.--The Confessions of a Lunatic 335

CLXXXIX.--Scenes in the Lunatic Asylum 346

CXC.--A Scene in a Cab 349

CXCI.--The Old Marquis and the Young Lord 352

CXCII.--Mrs. Mortimer in London again 356

CXCIII.--Jack Rily and Mrs. Mortimer 358

CXCIV.--Mother and Daughter again 363

CXCV.--Horrors 367

CXCVI.--Resolutions 370

CXCVII.--The Marquis of Delmour 372

CXCVIII.--Castelcicala 375

CXCIX.--The Marchioness of Delmour 378

CC.--Jack Rily and the Lawyer’s Clerk 382

CCI.--Mr. Heathcote and his Clerk 384

CCII.--Jack Rily and Vitriol Bob 388

CCIII.--The Bengal Arms--Renewed Wanderings 391

CCIV.--The Catastrophe 394

CCV.--The Castelcicalan Republic 397

CCVI.--Charles Hatfield in London again 399

CCVII.--Mr. Green’s Office 402

CCVIII.--Perdita, the Lost One 405

CCIX.--Mr. Green’s Mission 409

CONCLUSION OF VOL. II. (Second Series) 412

ILLUSTRATIONS TO VOL. II.

SECOND SERIES.

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PERDITA 209

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DR. SWINTON 329

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THE MYSTERIES OF LONDON.

CHAPTER CX.. Continuation of the Black’s Visits to His Prisoners.

CONTINUATION OF THE BLACK’S VISITS TO HIS PRISONERS.

Having quitted the dungeon in which Josh Pedler was confined, the Blackamoor proceeded to the next cell; but, instead of opening the door, he merely drew back a small sliding-lid that covered a grated trap, and the faint rays of a light streamed from the inside.

“Tidmarsh,” said the Blackamoor, in a feigned tone, “has your mind grown easier?”

“Yes, sir--oh! yes,” replied the prisoner from the interior of his dungeon. “Since you allowed me a light and good books, I have been comparatively a happy man. I know that I deserve punishment--and it seems to do me good to feel that I am atoning for my offences in this manner. I am not afraid of being alone now; and when I put out my light, I am not afraid of being in the dark.”

“You pray with more composure?” said the Black, interrogatively.

“Yes, sir--I can settle my mind to prayer now,” was the answer; “and I am sure that my prayers are heard. But pray believe, sir, that I never was so wicked--so very wicked as that bad man who kept me for years in his employ. I know that I was too willing an instrument in his hands; and I am sorry for it now. The thing that lays heaviest on my mind, is the share I had in sending poor Tom Rain to the scaffold.”

“You are sorry for that deed?” enquired the Black, in a low and slightly tremulous tone.

“Oh! God, forgive me!” exclaimed Tidmarsh, his voice expressing sincere contrition. “I do indeed deeply--deeply deplore my share in that awful business; and the ghost of poor Tom Rain used to haunt me when I was first here. In fact, Tom Rain was ever uppermost in my thoughts; and--strange though it may seem--it is not the less true, sir, that your voice appeared to penetrate to my very soul, as if it was Tom Rain himself that was speaking to me. But I have got over all those ideas now--since I learnt to pray; and when I grow dull, I read the good books you have lent me. Sometimes I study the Bible; and I find that if I pore over it too much, it makes me melancholy. Then I turn to the Travels and Voyages; and I become tranquil again.”

“Should you not rejoice at any opportunity of retrieving your character--even in your old age--and earning an honest livelihood for yourself?” asked the Black.

“Oh! if such a thing could be!” cried the man, in a tone of exultation. “But, no--it is impossible!” he added, after a pause, and speaking in an altered voice. “I have sinned too deeply in respect to poor Tom Rain, to be able to hope for such happiness. God is punishing me in this world, you being his instrument;--and yet I can scarcely call it punishment, since you treat me with such kindness. There are times when I even wish that I was more severely punished here, so that I might expiate all my sins and feel certain about my fate in another world.”

“God is full of forgiveness, Tidmarsh,” said the Black: “I feel that He is,” he added in a somewhat enthusiastic manner. “The prospect I distantly hinted at in respect to yourself, may possibly become practicable. You are old--but you may still have many years to live; and it would be wrong--it would be detestable not to give you a full opportunity, sooner or later, of enabling you to testify your contrition. But I cannot speak farther on this subject at present. I have brought you some more books: one is a tale--‘The Vicar of Wakefield’--the perusal of which will do you no harm. It will show you how virtue, though suffering for a time, was rewarded at last. In a few days I shall myself visit you again.”

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