J. H. Robinson

“ The roar of cannon would be music to the roaring of the malicious element; and the rush of armed thousands to mortal combat mere pastime to the lightning rush of the approaching flames. Cecil's strength was fast failing, and fear and torture were doing their work upon her. The roof was now one liquid sheet of fire, darting along the rafters, thrusting its forked tongues through every fissure, licking up every thing that was combustible in its passage. The burning timbers with the fabric they supported would soon fall, and offering up an audible, fervent prayer, she prepared to die. ”

“ Quicker than the wind she flies through many rooms, entries, and dark passages, guided only by an instinct imparted by fear. Now she ascends swiftly a flight of steps, while a short distance behind, she hears the heavy, hasty tread of Thick, who, in a hoarse voice, bids her desist.
But he still feels certain of his prey, and confident that she cannot ascend much father, and can find no means of egress. She is at the top of the stairs, and again darts onward through the thick darkness, like one endowed with supernatural power, and upheld by another's strength. ”

“ I can deal with you though."
"Do not strike me," said Cecil, still retreating. "I have warned you once, and I warn you again, do me no violence, lean reveal what would make you look through iron grates all your days. Do you hear me?"
"What can you reveal," replied the virago, in a voice which she meant should be indicative of indifference, but which truly manifested much alarm, "What secrets have you that can work me any harm?"
"Enough to imprison you for life—ninety-nine years—if not sufficient to hang you by the neck, and I am not quite certain that the latter would not be the case." ”

“ The last words were uttered with a painful effort,—the hands fell—the eyes became fixed—horror sat upon the face—and falling forward heavily to the floor, she was "that lifeless thing the living fear"—a corpse.
A short time elapsed; the door of that room opened, and an old woman entered, whom we shall recognise as her whom we have before seen in company with the body snatchers. She had lost none of her former ugliness and seemed to regard without emotion the body of the girl. "Dead at last" she muttered, "dead at last—well she has been no profit to me this month past—better dead than alive. ”

“ Through the blinding smoke they could discern the bright gleam of the polished edge of the weapon he wielded with his right hand, as it whirled in quick successive circles about his head, and fell with a crash upon the yielding walls. It was a heavy broad-axe, but in that moment of danger, he wielded it as the merest toy.
"The roof is falling," cried Eugene, folding Cecil to his bosom. "We shall perish together. God forgive us all." ”

“ I shrink from, and falter in my purpose; I would not mar such a model of human loveliness. How can I disfigure that angelic face—how can I cut, piece meal, the flesh from those delicate limbs, and observe daily the ravages of the scalpel, coupled with the wasting progress of decay, converting it—that corse—into all that is loathsome.
And yet, forsooth, I must do it. The noble study which I am pursuing demands it, though the gentler impulses revolt from the procedure. ”

“ Again Gaunt launched his frail bark, and rowed into the stream as before. He had attached a weight to the emaciated body of Alice, and was about to precipitate it into the water, when a dark looking object arose to the surface. It was the body of the man, which he had thrown in a little while before. Having become disengaged from the stone, it had arisen. "Ah! this is fortunate," said Gaunt brutally, "I will give you a grave together. You are old friends, and it is a pity to part you, even in death. ”

“ What a spectacle met their gaze—a horribly diseased body far advanced in decomposition—a noseless and almost fleshless face—naked cheek bones—grinning and half lipless teeth,—but we go no farther, we will draw a curtain over the dreadful picture, and not shock the reader by the disgusting details, for not all the pens in the world could convey an adequate idea of the unsightliness of that libertine's corpse. ”

“ The agitation of Cecil seemed to increase instead of subsiding, and she felt—why she could not tell—a strange trembling curiosity to see the face of that corpse. With a rough motion. Gaunt tore the napkin from the head, it rolls heavily to one side, and towards Cecil, but—oh God! what a face! did human being ever present such a one before? Never! ”

“ One that she dreaded more than death, was behind, and she heeded not the warning.
"In God's name go no father," shrieked Thick, "or you fall to the first floor. Cecil! Cecil! hear me," continued the body snatcher, mounting with more care than heretofore, the third flight of stairs. "You are rushing to certain death, stop mad woman, I warn you of the danger." ”

“ He reached the bed, and Cecil heard the wild beatings of his heart as he stood for an instant preparing to reach forth his arms, throw himself upon the bed, and then make sure of his victim. Ah! he finds he is baffled when he thought the very moment of possession had arrived. With an imprecation too dreadful to repeat, he was about to turn from the bed, when gathering the remains of her strength and energy, Cecil darts like a spectre from the apartment. ”

“ Did you receive much injury from the rough usage of the old woman?"
"My face is a little swolen from the effects of the blow, and my arm aches, yet, nothing very serious I believe."
"I have now a favor to ask?"
"What is it?" asked Cecil quickly, and with trepidation in her manner. "Nothing that I shall be obliged to deny you, I hope."
"I trust not young woman. It is this; you have seen my face, and now I wish to look a moment upon yours."
"Oh! is that all," said she laughing. "I can grant it in a minute. Stop until I pull up the wick of the lamp that you may see better. ”

“ Thick. I am satisfied of the truth of what you offer without any experiments," cried Gaunt, deprecatingly edging himself away from his friend.
"But you must carry it, or I shall leave it in the street," insisted Thick, who was well aware that it was beyond the strength of Gaunt to bear it; but still he wished for a little sport at his expense. "There, be careful that you do not let it fall," he continued, placing it safely on the shoulder of his skeleton comrade. Keep cool—steady—stand a little more erect—if you please—so—exert yourself—ah! you are doing finely." ”

“ I never saw a better, Gaunt."
"I agree with you that I never saw a better: but the young girl we sold to that pale student Levator, how much handsomer to look upon."
"Right, Gaunt, for once. I never beheld anything in the shape of death, so fair. That female, she must have been very beautiful when living."
"I don't think that would follow as a natural consequence. Many homely persons make a handsome corpse." ”

“ Have you not seen me sever joint from joint, and muscles from muscle a score of times, without the least symtoms of emotion?—Speak?"
"I have; and no one can do it with more address and coolness, and it is this fact, contrasted with your present conduct that astonishes me, I have often thought that I never knew a student so indifferent to the "disagreeables" of a dissecting room as yourself; but to-night you are a woman."
"Hold, doctor," said Eugene gaily, "you are wrong this time. If he were a woman you would hardly disagree with him. Confess it, doctor." ”

“ He opens a large chest, which sits in an obscure corner of the apartment, and with some little effort, takes from it a sack which contains apparently some heavy material. The door is cautiously secured by Gaunt, and they hesitate a few moments before proceeding, as if to assure themselves that they are entirely free from interruption. They now undo the fastenings of the sack, then reversing it, a human body in its grave-dress falls heavily and with a startling dull sound to the floor. ”

“ Thick was right; there was danger before her, although he cared little for her safety, yet feared that his prey might escape by the hand of death, before she had satisfied his brutal desire. She is upon the fourth flight of steps—they totter beneath her weight, but she presses onward, and gains the top in safety. She now believed she had gained a place of comparative safety, believing that her pursuer would not dare to trust himself upon the decaying stairs, and she pauses a moment to rest. ”

“ You were wrong there, Eugene, and the time will come, when that reflection will be a source of unending regret. It will avail but little then, for mayhap the form of that young girl who loves you, will be cold, very cold, and far beyond the reach of sympathy. Think of that, and when you leave the embraces of Cecil to seek the retirement of home and the society of sisters, remember that she has neither the one or the other. ”

“ At others, a strange sickening effluvia finds its way through these dilapidated and crumbling walls, and almost nauseates me. At one time I contrived to look through this crevice, and saw a horrible looking old man, with a white cloth in his hand, and—ugh—I shudder when I think of it—which resembled a corpse-dress. A frightful looking man was that, Eugene,—with such a thin, ghastly face, and so frightfully wrinkled. What do you suppose they do in that room?" continued Cecil in an inquiring tone and with a thoughtful air. ”

“ At that moment a strong grasp was laid upon Eugene, who overcome with heat and smoke was about sinking to the floor, and he felt himself dragged—with Cecil—through a narrow space, and in a place of comparative safety, while a terrible crash behind them announced that the roof had fallen. The part of the building in which they found themselves had suffered but little from the fire. After pausing a moment to recover themselves, they without difficulty found their way into the street, grateful for their wonderful preservation from a horrible death. ”

“ But why should we particularize, this quarrel ended as usual in such cases, with a kiss, and they were soon the very best of friends, apparently.
"Did you know that I do not like to live here," said Cecil, after a pause.
"I have thought you would fancy a better place, and resolved sometime since to procure one more suited to your taste."
"Do, Eugene, for this is a fearful place. Everything is so mysterious, and we have such strange neighhors. I tremble at the approach of that horrible old woman. Eugene, they have such rude visitors here, that one is not free from insult and even violence. ”

“ We will now return, and follow the fortunes of Eugene. After leaving the dissecting room, as before mentioned, for more than an hour he walked the streets, reflecting on what he had just witnessed. It had touched a delicate spot in his conscience. He had seen the carcase of the betrayer of his mistress horribly disfigured by a loathsome and disgraceful disease. It naturally caused him to think of his own course of life, and what might possibly be its results if he persisted as he had begun. It was easy to foresee what they might be, and the shocking idea made him shudder. He loved Cecil ”

“ It was nine o'clock when the Body Snatchers left the dissecting room of Levator, with the "fair subject" placed carefully under the direction of the latter, in the sack provided for the purpose. For a while they moved cautiously along with their burden in silence, threading their way through the most unfrequented alleys.
"This grows heavier," said Thick, pausing to rest. "I believe people are heaviest when dead." ”

“ He held only by his fingers, and with a frightful desperation, he put forth his strength to lift his body to a place of safety. He could not do that, though his strength were doubled. His powers are fast failing. His fingers cannot much longer retain their hold, and see! the blood starts from under his nails, in his efforts to raise himself. He entreats Cecil to assist him in the most abject manner. ”

“ Cecil hears him place his foot upon the first step, then the second, and so upward, and with throbbing heart, she momentarily expects, the frail fabric with a crash, will give way beneath him. Horror, he has ascended nearly to the top, and she turns to flee, fearful that he may gain her hiding-place in safety: but in a moment she hears a crash, that told her that the steps had fallen. But where was her pursuer? ”

“ He carried no light, but by that which was admitted by the door she had no difficulty in recognizing the uncouth, misshapen form of Thick, the body-snatcher.
Every limb of the poor girl trembled with extreme fear. There was no human being in the world whose presence she dreaded so much, and whom she held in such utter abhorrence as the man before her. ”