Authors: George W. M. Reynolds,James Malcolm Rymer
realised a considerable sum by
his late bankruptcy, was disposed to be generous: "you shall have as good
a supper, and as much lush as you can stow away. Here, Dick," he cried,
addressing himself to the waiter, "run round to my shop, and ask the old
'ooman for a nice steak; and then get it fried for me along with some inguns
And, Dick, let's have some tutors."
The waiter disappeared to execute these orders, said the
conversation was then resumed upon the former topic.
Pocock entered into all the details with which the reader is
already acquainted; and Markham who had made up his mind how to act, was
determined to allow him to disclose spontaneously as much as he thought fit,
before he should reveal himself. He sate in his obscure corner, shading his
face with his hands, and affecting to be deeply interested in the columns of
the
Morning Advertiser,
which lay the wrong way upwards
before him.
The moment Pocock had begun to speak upon matters which so
deeply interested him, Richard had become an attentive listener, and, as that
individual proceeded, and he found within his reach a means of establishing his
innocence, his brain seemed to be excited with joy - even to delirium. His
pulse throbbed violently - his heart palpitated audibly. Much as he had loathed
that den when he first entered it, he would now have fallen down, and kissed
its dirty, saw-dust covered floor.
Hour after hour had passed away; the clock had struck
eleven, and still the Resurrection Man did not make his appearance.
The butcher and Pocock were discussing their supper, and
Markham was just thinking of accosting the latter, when the door was suddenly
opened with great violence, and two persons muffled up in pea-coats, carrying
enormous sticks, and smoking cigars, precipitated themselves into the parlour
of the
Dark House.
"D—n me, what a lark!"
ejaculated one, flinging himself upon a seat, and laughing heartily: "but
we're quite safe in here. I know this place, and the policeman lost sight of
us, before we reached the door."
"Upon my honour, I cannot say that I admire frolics of
this kind," observed the other; "it is really ridiculous to break
lamps up at this end of the town. But, my God! what a neighbourhood you have
brought me into! I couldn't have suspected that there was such a district in
London."
"I told you that you would do good if you would come
with me to my father," said the first speaker. "The old boy was quite
delighted at the idea of a baronet condescending to sup with him; and you saw
how he shelled out the blunt to me when he had imbibed his third glass of the
punch."
The latter portion of this conversation was uttered in
whispers, and the two gentlemen again laughed heartily - doubtless because they
had succeeded in the business which had that evening brought them - to the
eastern regions of London.
In the midst of that second burst of hilarity, Mr. Pocock
rose from his seat and advanced slowly towards the two new-comers.
"Well, gentlemen," he exclaimed, "this is an
honour which you do us poor folks in Spitalfields. Come - you needn't stare so
confounded hard at me. How are you, Chichester? Been to see the old gentleman
at the sign of the Lombardy Arms - three balls, eh?" Two chances to one
that the things put up the spout will never come down again, eh?"
The butcher burst out into a roar of laughter, which was
echoed by several other inmates of the room.
"Who the devil are you ?" demanded Chichester,
recovering his presence of mind sooner than the baronet; for both were
astounded at this unexpected and very embarrassing encounter.
"Upon my honour, the man must be mistaken,"
murmured Sir Rupert Harborough.
"So far from being mistaken," cried Pocock,
"you were the very fellows I was talking about just now. Gentlemen,"
he added, turning towards the people seated at the various tables, "these
are the two swells that led me into the scrape I told you about just now. And
now they pretend not to know me!"
"What does the fellow mean?" said Chichester, in
an impudent tone: "do you know, Harborough?"
" 'Pon my honour, not I!"
"Then I will tell you who I am," ejaculated the
engraver. "I am the man who forged the plates from which the bank-notes
were struck, that got poor Richard Markham condemned to two years' imprisonment
in the Compter; and you know as well as possible that
he
suffered for
our
crime"
Chichester and the baronet were stupefied by the sudden and
unexpected exposure.
They knew not what to say or do; and their countenance.
betrayed their guilt.
"Yes, gentlemen," resumed Pocock, growing excited,
"these are the men whom some extraordinary chance - some providential or
devilish design - has brought here this evening to confirm all I have told
you."
"Devil take this impudence!" cried Chichester, now
once more recovering his wonted self-possession, and determining to brave the
accusation out: "my name isn't Chichester - you're quite mistaken, my good
fellow - I can assure you that you are."
"Liar!" cried the engraver, furiously: "I
should know you both amongst a million!"
"And so should I," calmly observed Markham, now
advancing from his obscure corner, and appearing in the presence of those who
so little expected to see him there.
A tremendous sensation now prevailed in the room, and those
who were spectators anxiously awaited the result of this strange drama.
"Yes - there are indeed the villains to whom I am
indebted for all the miseries I have endured," continued Markham.
"But say not that a lucky accident brought
us
all here together this night, think not that a mere chance
occasioned the present meeting of the deceivers and the deceived; - no; it was
the will of the Almighty, to establish the innocence of an injured man!"
A solemn silence succeeded these words, which were delivered
in a tone which produced an impression of awe upon all who heard them. Even the
depraved and hardened men that were present on this occasion, in the parlour of
the
Dark House
gazed with respect upon the young man who dared to speak of the
Almighty in that den of dissipation.
Markham continued after a short pause:-
"Were it not that I should be involving in ruin a man
who has spontaneously come forward to proclaim his own guilt, to declare his
repentance, and to assert my innocence - without hope of reward from me, and
even without knowing that God had sent me hither to overhear every word be
uttered - were it not that I should be inflicting upon
him
the deepest injury, I would this moment assign you to the custody
of the police, as the instigators of the diabolical fraud in which Talbot was
your tool, and I your scape-goat. But though I shall take no steps to punish
you, heaven will not allow you to triumph in your career of
"turpitude!"
"Well spoken," said Mr. Chichester,
perceiving that he was in no danger, and therefore assuming an air of bravado.
"Upon my honour, I can't comprehend all this,"
muttered the baronet. "Let us go, my dear fellow - I do not admire your
Spitalfields' riff-raff."
"Yes - go - depart! cried Markham ; "or else I
shall not be able to restrain my indignation."
"They shan't go without a wolloping, however,"
said the butcher, very coolly taking off his apron, and turning up the sleeves
of his blue stuff jacket. "I'll take one -who'll take the
other?"
"I will," cried a barber's boy, laying aside his pipe, taking a long
pull at the porter, and then advancing towards the two adventurers with
clenched fists.
"Stop - stop, I implore you!" ejaculated Markham.
"I ask not for such vengeance as this - no violence, I beseech you."
"Let's give it 'em in true John Bull style, and knock
all that cursed dandy nonsense out of 'em," cried the butcher; and before
Richard could interfere farther, he felled the baronet with one blow of his
tremendous fist.
The barber forthwith pitched into the fashionable Mr.
Chichester, who struggled in vain to defend himself. The baronet rose; and the
butcher instantly took his head "into chancery," and pummelled
him to his heart's content.
As soon as Chichester and Sir Rupert were so severely
thrashed that they were covered all over with bruises, and could scarcely stand
upon their legs, the butcher and the barber kicked them into the open air,
amidst the shouts and acclamations of all the inmates of the
Dark House
parlour.
When order was once more restored, Markham addressed himself
to the two champions who had avenged him in their own peculiar style, and not
only thanked them for their well-meant though mistaken kindness, but also gave
them munificent proofs of his bounty.
"And now," said Richard, turning towards Pocock,
"are you willing to sign a declaration of my innocence?"
"On condition that the paper shall never be used
against me," answered the engraver.
" Could I not this moment give you into custody to the
police, upon your own confession of having forged the place from which the
bank-notes were printed?"
"Certainly: I was wrong to make any conditions. You are
a man of honour."
Markham proceeded to draw up the declaration referred to;
and Pocock signed it with a firm and steady hand.
This ceremony being completed, Richard placed Bank of
England notes for fifty pounds in the engraver's hand.
"Accept this," he said, "as a token of my
gratitude and a proof of my
forgiveness; I regret that my means do not allow me to be more liberal.
Endeavour to enter an honest path; and should you ever require a friend, do not
hesitate to apply to me."
Pocock wept tears of gratitude and repentance - the only
acknowledgment he could offer for this sudden and most welcome aid. His
emotions choked his powers of utterance.
Markham hurried from the room, and took his departure from
the establishment which possessed much an ominous name, but which had proved
the scene of a great benefit to him that evening.
He was hurrying up Brick Lane in a northerly direction -
that is to say, towards Church Street, when he was suddenly stopped by an
individual whom he encountered in his way, and who carried a large
life-preserver in his hand.
" I suppose you were tired of waiting for me,"
said the Resurrection Man - for it was he.
I certainly imagined you would not come to-night, answered
Richard.
"Well, better late than never. It is fortunate that we
met: it will save you another journey to-morrow night, you know."
"Yes - I am glad that we have met, as my time is now
too valuable to waste."
"In that case, we can either return to the
Dark House,
which is open all night; or you can give me the money in the
street. You don't require any receipt, I suppose?"
"No: neither will you require to give me any."
"So I thought: honour among thieves, eh? Excuse the
compliment. But, in the first place, have you got the tin ?"
"I had the whole amount just now, in my pocket, when I
first went to the
Dark House.
"
"Then I suppose it is all there still?"
"Not all. I have parted with fifty pounds out of
it."
"The deuce you have! And how came you to do that?"
demanded the Resurrection Man gruffly. " I gave you fair warning that I
would take nothing less than the entire sum."
"I obtained, in a most extraordinary manner, a proof of
my innocence; and I think I purchased it cheaply at that rate. I would have
given all I possessed in the world," added Markham, "to procure
it."
"The devil!" cried the Resurrection Man, who grew
uneasy at the cold and indifferent way in which Markham spoke. " Well, I
suppose I must take what you have got left. You can easily leave the remainder
for me at the
Dark House.
"
"Not a shilling will you now obtain from me, ejaculated
Richard firmly ; "and I have waited to tell you so. I have made up my mind
to reveal the entire truth, without reserve, to those from whom I was before
foolishly and dishonourably anxious to conceal it."
"This gammon won't do for me," cried the
Resurrection Man. "You want to stall me off; but I'm too wide awake. Give
me the tin, or I'll start off to-morrow morning to Richmond, and see the count
upon -
you
know what subject. Before I left
that neighbourhood the other day, I made all the necessary inquiries about the
people of the house which the young lady went into."
"You may save yourself that trouble also," said
Markham; "for I shall reveal all that you would unfold. But, in a word,
you may do what you choose."
"Come now," ejaculated the Resurrection Man,
considerably crestfallen; "assist an old companion in difficulties - lend
me a hundred or so."
"No," returned Richard in a resolute manners
" had you asked me in the first instance to assist you, I. would have done
so willingly ;- but you have endeavoured to extort a considerable sum of money
from me - much more than I could spare; and I should not now be justified in yielding
to the prayers of a man who has found that his bass menaces have failed."
"You do not think I would have done what I said? "
cried the Resurrection Man.
"I believe you to be capable of any villany. But we
have already conversed too long. I was anxious to show you how a virtuous
resolution would enable me to triumph over your base designs ;- and I have now
nothing more to say to you. Our ways lie in different directions, both at
present and in future. Farewell."
With these words Markham continued his way up Brick Lane;
but the Resurrection Man was again by his side in a moment.
"You refuse to assist me?" he muttered in a hoarse
and savage tone.
"I do. Molest me no further."
"You refuse to assist me?" repeated the villain,
grinding his teeth with rage: "then you may mind the consequences! I will
very soon show you that you will bitterly - bitterly repent your determination.
By God, I will be revenged!"
"I shall know how to be upon my guard," said
Markham.
He then walked rapidly on, without looking behind him.
The Resurrection Man stood still for a moment, considering
how to act: then, apparently struck by a sudden idea, he hastened stealthily
after Richard Markham.