Activate Javascript or update your browser for the full Digital Library experience.
Previous Page
–
Next Page
OCR
, plied his.nephew.f .. “ Look here at me !
‘Was instructed to do so by Mr. liloiimg
' pver, in what our suspicions began,
‘him, and not a few.
MARTIN OHUZZLEWIT.
without rest or, relief : ”.his anxious face and bloodshot
eyes confirmed it. ‘f I little thought to what my watch-
ing was tolead. ‘As little as he did when he slipped out
in the night, dressed in those clothes which he after-
wards sunk in a bundle at London Bridge I”
' 2 Jonas moved upon the ground like a man in bodily tor-
ture. Ile uttered a suppressed groan, as if he had been
wounded by some cruel weapon ; and plucked at the
iron band upon his wrists, as though (his hands being
free) he would have torn himself. .
‘.‘ Steady,’ kinsman l" said, the chief officer of the
party. i “ Don’t be violent.”
‘,“ Whom do you. call kinsman?” asked old Martin
sternly. . < , .j.i
, “. You,’.’.said thcyman, “ among others.”
Martin turned his scrutinising gaze upon him. He
was sitting lazily across a chair with his arms resting on
"the back; eating nuts, and throwing the shells out of
window as he cracked them, which he still continued to
do, while speaking; a . ,
..i.‘.‘Ay,’.’ he said, with a sulky nod. “ You may deny
your nephews till you die ; but Chevy Slyme is Chevy
Slyme still, fallgthe world over. Perhaps even you may
feel it some disgrace toxyour own blood to be employed
in this way. I’m to.be bought olf.”
“At ‘every turn ‘i.’’ cried Martin. “ Self, self, self.
Every one among them for himself i”
“You had better save one’ or two among them the
trouble then, and be'for them as well as yourself,” re
Can you see
the man of your family, who has more talent in his lit-
tle finger than all the rest in their united brains, dressed
as a police otiicelr without being ashamed ‘2 ‘I 100k ‘UP
with this trade onpurpose to shame you. I didn't think
I should have to make a. capture in the family, tlioiigh. ’
“If your debauchery, and that of your chosen friends,
has really brought you to thislevel,” retumed the Old
man,‘ “keep it. You. are living honestly, I hope, and
that's something.”.. .
‘‘Don’t be hard upon my chosen friends,” returned
Slime, ‘ffortliey weresometimes your chosen ‘friends
too. Don't say you never employed my friend Tigg, for
I know better. . lVe quarrelled upon it.” ' -
- "- I.hired the fellow,’f retorted Mr. Chuzzlewit, " and I
paid him.”, .. . . . “ ,
“It's well you paid him,” said his 1'1<‘-Pl1?‘Vr for It
would be too late to do so now. He has ive,n’ his re-
ceipt in full : or had it forced from hiinrat ier. '
The old man" looked at him as if he. were curious to
know what he meant, but scornedto prolong their con-
versation.‘ ' 1 . I I
“L have . always expected that -he and Would 139
brought together again in the‘ course of business, Said
lYmG.’tal:inlg a fresh handful of nuts from his Poclfett
“butC[.t1,oug11t'he would he wanted for some swind-
ling‘ job: it never entered my head that ,I shoiild hold ii.
warrantfor the apprehension of his murderer. . ,
'‘'T'-tHL.t' murderer I'’ cried Mr. Chuzzlewit, looking from
one 0 another. ‘ ‘ . > - - ,
3: i‘‘=IIis or Mr. MontagIw’S,” Sflid Nudge” ‘ They are
the same, I am told. ' , I accuse him yonder of the mur-
der of3Mr,.Mo'ntague, who was found last night. killed.
in a. wood. 9 ,'.You will ask me.why.I accuse him, as yet;
have already’ asked me how I, know 50 much’ I 1] tel
V011. - It can’t remain a secret long.” . .V
The ruling passion of the man expressed itself ev en
then, in the tone of regret in which he dePl‘“'9d ”""“P'
Pmaching publicity of what he knew. : “ I
‘.‘-I told you I had watched him,” he proceeded-
“ ue, in whose em-
PIG ment 1 have been for some time. . XVe had our sus-
picibns of him ; and you know what they pointed at, I01’
E011 havobeen discussing it since w0fl(1)f11V1'e 1l’e.I‘:g‘;""i‘;‘.l:,’,]]“"i'
- ea ,
ere,.outside the room. If you carer“ ten )1?“ pluiiizly
"1 0. uarrel it first came to our ears throng 3 ‘III! 9
hisbtslvn) betiveen him and another ofhce in which has
,father’s life was insured, and which had so mucliddoutlf
and distrust upon the subject, that I19 C.0mP0““-de dwht
tlierxi, aridtdok half the money ; and was tt=JI‘;‘fes‘0ng;’m‘s,
' w - urns
Bit,.v.‘hbit,,I. ferteiedI:l;:q$1i2:?] zc‘ir1<;me patience; but
VOL‘. I.-74
1169.
it's my calling. I found the nurse-here she is to con-
firm me ; I found the doctor, I found the undertaker, I
found the undertaker’s man.
gentleman there, Mr. Chuliey, had behaved at the’ fu-
neral ; and I found out what this man,” touching’ Lew-
some on the arm, “had talked‘ about in’ his fever. I
found out how he conducted himself before his father’s
death, and how since, and how at the time ; and writing
it all down, and putting it carefully together, made case
enough for Mr. Montague to tax him withthe crime,
which (as he himself believed until to-night) he had
committed. I was by when this was done. ‘ You see;
him now. He is only worse than he was then." i ‘ '
Oh, miserable, miserable fool! oh, insupportable, ex-'
cruciating torture ! To find alive and active-a party to‘
it all-the brain and right-hand of the secret he had.
thought to crush i In whom, though he had walled the
murdered man up, by enchantinent in a rock, the story
would have lived and walked abroad i He tried to stop‘
his ears with his fettered arms, that he might shut out
the rest. ‘
As he crouched upon the floor, they drew away from
him as if a pestilence'were in his breath.’ The)‘ fell off,
one by one, from that part of the room, leaving him
alone upon the ground. Even those who had him in
their keeping shunned him’, and (with the exception of
Slyme who was still occupied with his nuts) kept apart.‘ ..
“ From that garret-window opposite,” said Nadgett,
pointing across the narrow street, “I have watched this
house and him for days and nights. From that garret-
window opposite I saw him return home, alone, from a
journey on which he had set out with Mr. Montague.
That was my token that Mr. Montague’s end was gained ;
and I might rest easy on my watch, though I was not to
leave it until he dismissed me. But, standing at the door
opposite, after dark that same night, I saw a countryman
steal out of this house, by a sidedcor in the court, who
had never entered it. I knew his walk, and that it was
himself, disguised. I followed him immediately. Ilost
him on the western road, still travelling westward.” ..
Jonas looked up at him for an instant and mutteredaxi
oath.
“ I could not comprehend what this meant,” said Nad-
gett; “ but, having seen so much, I resolved to see it out,
and through. And I did. Learning, on inquiry at his
house from his wife, that he was supposed to be sleeping
in the roorri from which I had seen him go out, and that
he had given strict orders not to be disturbed..I knew
that he was coming back; and for his coming back I
watched. I kept my watch in the street-inidoorways,
and such places-all that night ; at the same window, all
next day ; and when night came on again, in the street
once more. For I knew he would come back, as he had
gone out, when this part of the town was empty. He
did. Early inthe morning, the same countryman came
creeping, creeping, creeping home.” i - -
“Look sharp i ” interposed Slynie, who had now
ishedhis nuts. “This is quite irregular, Mr. Nudgett.”
“ I kept at the window all day,” said N ndgett, without
heedin him. “I think I never closed my eyes. ' At
night,; saw him come out with a bundle. I followed
him again. He went down the steps at London Bridge,
and sunk it in the river. I now began to entertain some
serious fears, and made a communication to the Police,
which caused that bundle to be-" - 7' 1.
.“To be fished up,” interrupted Slyme. “Be alive,
, ett.” ' . I it '
Ml“l>lai:lgntained the 'dress I had seen him wear," said
Nadgett; “stained with clay, and spotted. with blood.
Information of the murder was received in townvlast
night. The wearer of that dress is already known to
have been seen near the place ; to have been lurkmgrin
that neighbourhood ; and to have alighted from a coach
coming from that part of the country, at a time exactly
tallying with the very minute when I saw him returning
home. The warrant has been out, and these officers have
been with me some hours. NV: chose our tlme;‘l1ll(l
seeingyou come in,‘and'seeing this person at the win’-
dow-” y ‘ ' . I I A
“ Beckonedto him," said Mark, taking u
‘rp-
tthe tliread
‘of the narrative, onhearing this allusion to imself, “ to
open the door ; which he did with a dcal‘of pleasure.” I,
I found out how the old-