Five o"clock had struck--six--seven--and eight. Along the two mainstreets at either end of the cross-way, a living stream had now set in, rolling towards the marts of gain and business. Carts,coaches, waggons, trucks, and barrows, forced a passage through theoutskirts of the throng, and clattered onward in the samedirection. Some of these which were public conveyances and hadcome from a short distance in the country, stopped; and the driverpointed to the gibbet with his whip, though he might have sparedhimself the pains, for the heads of all the passengers were turnedthat way without his help, and the coach-windows were stuck full ofstaring eyes. In some of the carts and waggons, women might beseen, glancing fearfully at the same unsightly thing; and evenlittle children were held up above the people"s heads to see whatkind of a toy a gallows was, and learn how men were hanged.
Two rioters were to die before the prison, who had been concernedin the attack upon it; and one directly afterwards in BloomsburySquare. At nine o"clock, a strong body of military marched intothe street, and formed and lined a narrow passage into Holborn,which had been indifferently kept all night by constables. Throughthis, another cart was brought (the one already mentioned had beenemployed in the construction of the scaffold), and wheeled up tothe prison-gate. These preparations made, the soldiers stood atease; the officers lounged to and fro, in the alley they had made,or talked together at the scaffold"s foot; and the concourse, which had been rapidly augmenting for some hours, and stillreceived additions every minute, waited with an impatience whichincreased with every chime of St Sepulchre"s clock, for twelve atnoon.
Up to this time they had been very quiet, comparatively silent,save when the arrival of some new party at a window, hithertounoccupied, gave them something new to look at or to talk of. But,as the hour approached, a buzz and hum arose, which, deepeningevery moment, soon swelled into a roar, and seemed to fill the air.
No words or even voices could be distinguished in this clamour, nordid they speak much to each other; though such as were betterinformed upon the topic than the rest, would tell their neighbours,perhaps, that they might know the hangman when he came out, by hisbeing the shorter one: and that the man who was to suffer with himwas named Hugh: and that it was Barnaby Rudge who would be hangedin Bloomsbury Square.
The hum grew, as the time drew near, so loud, that those who wereat the windows could not hear the church-clock strike, though itwas close at hand. Nor had they any need to hear it, either, forthey could see it in the people"s faces. So surely as anotherquarter chimed, there was a movement in the crowd--as if something had passed over it--as if the light upon them had been changed--inwhich the fact was readable as on a brazen dial, figured by agiant"s hand.
Three quarters past eleven! The murmur now was deafening, yetevery man seemed mute. Look where you would among the crowd, yousaw strained eyes and lips compressed; it would have been difficultfor the most vigilant observer to point this way or that, and saythat yonder man had cried out. It were as easy to detect themotion of lips in a sea-shell.
Three quarters past eleven! Many spectators who had retired fromthe windows, came back refreshed, as though their watch had justbegun. Those who had fallen asleep, roused themselves; and everyperson in the crowd made one last effort to better his position-whichcaused a press against the sturdy barriers that made thembend and yield like twigs. The officers, who until now had kepttogether, fell into their several positions, and gave the words ofcommand. Swords were drawn, muskets shouldered, and the brightsteel winding its way among the crowd, gleamed and glittered in thesun like a river. Along this shining path, two men came hurryingon, leading a horse, which was speedily harnessed to the cart atthe prison-door. Then, a profound silence replaced the tumult that had so long been gathering, and a breathless pause ensued. Everywindow was now choked up with heads; the house-tops teemed withpeople--clinging to chimneys, peering over gable-ends, and holdingon where the sudden loosening of any brick or stone would dash themdown into the street. The church tower, the church roof, thechurch yard, the prison leads, the very water-spouts andlampposts--every inch of room--swarmed with human life.
At the first stroke of twelve the prison-bell began to toll. Thenthe roar--mingled now with cries of "Hats off!" and "Poor fellows!"
and, from some specks in the great concourse, with a shriek orgroan--burst forth again. It was terrible to see--if any one inthat distraction of excitement could have seen--the world of eagereyes, all strained upon the scaffold and the beam.
The hollow murmuring was heard within the jail as plainly aswithout. The three were brought forth into the yard, together, asit resounded through the air. They knew its import well.
"D"ye hear?" cried Hugh, undaunted by the sound. "They expect us!
I heard them gathering when I woke in the night, and turned over ont"other side and fell asleep again. We shall see how they welcomethe hangman, now that it comes home to him. Ha, ha, ha!"
The Ordinary coming up at this moment, reproved him for hisindecent mirth, and advised him to alter his demeanour.
"And why, master?" said Hugh. "Can I do better than bear iteasily? YOU bear it easily enough. Oh! never tell me," he cried,as the other would have spoken, "for all your sad look and yoursolemn air, you think little enough of it! They say you"re thebest maker of lobster salads in London. Ha, ha! I"ve heard that,you see, before now. Is it a good one, this morning--is your handin? How does the breakfast look? I hope there"s enough, and tospare, for all this hungry company that"ll sit down to it, when thesight"s over."
"I fear," observed the clergyman, shaking his head, "that you areincorrigible."
"You"re right. I am," rejoined Hugh sternly. "Be no hypocrite,master! You make a merry-making of this, every month; let me bemerry, too. If you want a frightened fellow there"s one that"llsuit you. Try your hand upon him."