The Skeleton Crew; Or, Wildfire Ned — page 62: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

rr ee old gentlewoman his landlady, appeared at the door attired in undress, and could scarcely recog- nise her lodger ere that unsteady gentleman, who, swaying to and fro, but holding the area railings, stumbled into the passage and tumbled over the astonished housekeeper, who, gasping and groaning, eould scarcely be extricated by a female servant, who, candle in hand, rushed to the rescue, and bore off her mistress to the back parlour bed-room. Charley tumbled upstairs as noisily as a young elephant might be expected to do, knocking down the flowers and flower-stand on the’ landing, the globe of gold fish on the window-sill, and raised the whole house by his laughter, swearing, and heavy tread. * Just to think of that young man serving me so!” said Dame Worthington,’ when sufficiently recovered from her state of collapse to articulate coherently, ‘‘ Just to think of him who’s been more than a mother, to knock over my flowers and the gold fish, to tumble over me in the passage and go to sleep lying in my room, without word of apo- logy, in a state of senselessness; laughing with the lodgers on the stairs, and to go to bed with Mistress Haylark ina delicate state of health on the landing! Oh, Mary, Mary ! that I should have lived to see him with my own eyes in bed in the parlour, laughing, making fun, and tumbling over me before you and Mistress Haylark’s daughter, which is old enough to be his mother! Deary me, Mary, my dear, deary me!. Such is the way, my dear, that the black bottle in the cupboard which lodgers marked ‘pison” operates at the dead of night upon a poor defenceless housekeeper ‘and widow who’s been quiet and kind to him in the passage, but not old enough or forgetful enough to disremember the young man in her night-clothes named Warbeck, who has lost her lawful consoler, which smells, on the top shelf behind the pickles, for ten long years, like gin!” : It is difficult to imagine, perhaps, the dreadful state of feeling in which the garrulous dame found herself after the consolations of her lawful. consoler which smells—on the top shelf behind the pickles, for ten long years—like gin ; but of this we are fully assured, that when Charles Warbeck had Had a pleasant nap in his cosy room, and concluded a long consultation with the water-pitcher, he dis- covered, unmistakably, that several hundred fairies, or demons rather, were busily engaged at wood-chopping under the canopy of his cranium, and threatening every moment to split his invalu- able head into halves, Pale, penitent, and full of pious ‘intentions for the future, Charley Warbeck lay on the sofa before his fire, buried in thought, The church clock struck the hour of eleven, ‘and, as he heard it, he sighed, ‘“What a fool I have been to-day in not taking that packet of notes to the India House, I shake like a leaf, and I know not why ; and’ haunted by every imaginable terror, Icannot gaze firmly at any one ; the sound of every voice seems like a demon bawling in my ears, and every step that approaches «jpears to be that of some officer ready to tap me on the shoulder, and march me off to prison. I'd give anything in the world to have had this cursed money delivered to-day, and should not have dreamed of such a thing as to absent myself, but for Redgill. He has continually bored me to lend him money and lend him money, until my own poverty almost tempted me to steal. D—n the money!” said Warbeck, in a rage, slamming the packet of notes upon the table, and tossing about in his chair, ‘Tt burns my very pocket, and THE SKELETON CREWS OR, WILDFIRE NED. LL my brain even seems on fire since I’ve had that wine.” For some time young Warbeck sat looking at the notes, and would willingly have gone to the India House then, but it was too. late. While thus reflecting the door noiselessly opened, and Redgill entered the chamber ! Approaching the table he was much surprised at Charley’s absence of mind in not awaking from his reverie, but was pleased to see the bank package lying on the table. Pretending not to have observed anything of the sort, he slapped his friend familiarly on the back, who, awaking to his senses, seized the package in much haste and confusion, and placed it, as he supposed, unseen, beneath the cushions of the sofa. Redgill, cold as ice, perfectly collected, and fully resolved in purpose, observed his friend’s perturba- tion and confusion, but smiled good-humouredly, and conversed with animation. *‘ Any money on hand to-night, Charley, my boy, eh? You promised, you know. I thought I’d call, and see if you had got the £50.” ‘* Money !”’ said Charley, with affected surprise, gazing with much earnestness at his friend smoking; ‘*money? No! How should JZ have any? Inever have any, you know; I’m not like you fellows with rich daddies, who can give ’em a check occasionally.’ I wish I had, my boy, but I haven’t got’a penny. Sorry I disappointed you, Phillip ; I imagined I’ could borrow it for you, but couldn’t,” Conversation was continued between the friends, but on the part of young Warbeck with much diffi- culty, for his unnatural excitement almost choked utterance. During a pause in their conversation a single knock was heard at his door! GRAND DISTRIBUTION OF PRIZES!! ——_—_——<>——_——_ 1,400 VALUABLE PRESENTS GIVEN AWAY WITH THE BOYS OF ENCLAND, Consistings of Ponies, Pet Dogs, Pigeons, Ducks, Fowls Rabbits, Concertinas, Watches, Oricket Bats; Balls and Stumps, Bows and Arrows, Fishing Rods, Quoits, Boxes of Colours, Sets of Characters, Scenes, Stage Front, etc., ete. ORDER No. 1 OF THE BOYS OF ENGLAND. ONE PENNY WEEKLY. With No. 1 is PRESENTED A LARGE AND MAGNIFI- CENT ENGRAVING OF THE BATTLE OF CHEVY CHASE, AND A SET OF CHARACTERS FOR A NEW PLAY. FOUR TIMES THE SIZE OF ANY OTHER BOYS JOURNAL. LOOK OUT FOR THE BOY SAILOR; OR LIFE ON BOARD A MAN-OF-WAR. A most interesting and powerfully-writi.en Tale, to be completed in about 30 Numbers. No. 2, with No. 1, and a LARGE EN. GRAVING, GRATIS,