The Mysteries of London, Vol. IV — page 41: what you’re looking at

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et TY St & fashionable address hail produce] upon the Commis- THE MYSTERIES OF LONDON, “To make a f-} of me, sin eriel Mr Kicksoy sioners: but one wa3 dovire, and the other sremred to] Feaprrten, he looking at nathing—mst a: hor-:2 appear when they are stanting ile, “In Rezont Street," nests tM. Malis I & Ard [believe the Inzilvent call do npon yon, and erdered cluthes to a contiferath amecint' “J have supplied Iiim fur the last three vears,” answered Mr. Fopperton, “and never yet saw the colour of his money.” “You never yet raw the colour of his money. But he has seen the colour of yours, though ?” “J have diccounted bills for him to the amount of a thousand pounds.” “To the amount of a thousand pounds. Now, on what pretence—or rather, under what circumstances did the Insolvent introduce himself to you?” inauired Mr. Bulliwell. “Vie drove up to my doorin a dashing gig, sir,” answered Mr. Fopperton, “leapt down, rushed in, and enquired if his friend the Archbishop of Canterbury had been waiting there for him? I assured him that his Grace had not visited the shop, to my knowledge, in all his life. * God bless mes’ exclaimed Mr. Curtiss ‘Imust have made a mistake, thens Bue dont wou male the leather breeches which his Grace wears when he gocs out hunting?’ replied that I never made leather breeches at all, ‘Nor galljgaskins?’ said Mr. Curtis. ‘Nor galligaskins, sir? I said. ‘Zhen blow me tight,’ says he, ‘I have come to the wrong shop. Mu intimate and particular frien@ the Archbishop of York———. I suggested ‘ Canterbury.’—‘ Canterbury I neants’ exclaimed Mr. Curtis: ‘his Grace promised to introduce me to his own tailor; and here have I been promising introductions likewise to Lord Pum- pleby and the Marquis of Dubiin, and a whole lot of my fashionablo friends. There is a perfect rageail on a sudden to employ his Grace's tailor s’~-I was struck by all this fine-sounding talk, and handed Mr Curtis my card. *§ gad 7’ said he, laughing, ‘J’ve a precious good mind to have a lark, aud pit you against his Grace's tailor. Ay eves ¢ what fun tt would be2'?” “And it ended by the Insolvent actually putting you in competition with the imaginary tailor which he had conjured up?” enquired Mr, Bulliwell. “ Just 80, sir,” returned Mr. Fopperton; “and though I heard sometime afterwards that Mr. Curtis received a handsome income from his uncle Sir Christopher Blunt, yet I never got a sixpence.” “Be Jasus! Sir Christopher-r is a regular ould screw !” ejaculated Captain O’Blunderbuss, « [eh ?—what?” cricd the Commissioners, the one awaking from his nap and the other from his obliyi- ousness, . “Ys if afther distur-r-bing ye I’vo been again?” demanded the gallant gentleman: “then, be the holy poker-r} I ask your pardon—and I°ll hould my pace!” With these words the captain put his arms akimbo -— pursed up his month in a most extraordinary fashion—and stvod as still as a post and as demure as a methodist parson, to the huge delight of the un- washed audience. “Jt appears,” said Mr. Dulliwell, resuming his exa- mination of the opposing creditur, “that the Insolvent obtained clothes tothe amount of four hundred. pounds, snd cash fo the amount of a thousand?” Mr, Fopperton bowed an assent. “And you have every reason to believe that he only talked abcut the Archbishop’s tailor and his noble nequaintances, in order to throw dust inte your eyes?” A ITE Seca TRE nner ae “To make a fucl of yon,” repoate 1 Mr, Bulliwell. “Anan ast nf me, sir!” cinculate t the tailor, with Ise > ins oqes tls, * And an ass ef yon.” ephocl the I-ume Lecur- 1. “Ye, sir—anil tamahe a stuphd old as] of me!" Vociferate] 3Ir. Fopperten, “4 stupid old awl of vou” still repeated Mr. Bul'j- Well, in the mot matter-of-firct Style pne-ibles thin, perceiving that his client had exhausted aliln his « If reproaching epithets and his breath, thelearne: coun sate down. . Therentpon up roce Mr. Cadgerbreef, who had boon retained for the defence of the Insolvent: and as he pulled Lis gown over his shoulders and Prepared te cross-examine the opposing creditor, Captain O'NIin- derbuss turned partially round, and forming an arch with his hand on one side of his mouth, said, in a pretty Joud tone however, “Be Jasus! and if ve don’t male mince mate of him, it’s meself that'll skin him alive !”” The learned connsel noilded his head in a signiticant manner, as much as {o say, “Just wait 1. moment— and you shall sce how I'll serve him;"—and the gals lant captain-appeared satisfied with the tacit promise thus conyeyed. “Now, Mr. Fopperton,” cried Mr. Cadgerbreef, who was considered to be particularly skilfn) in badgering and baiting an opposing creditor, “you'll be so kind as tn remember that you are upon your oath :” and tho learned counscl glanced towards the bench, as much a3 to intimate that the Commissioners were keeping 2 sharp look ont on him, the opposing creditor aforesaid, and would send him to Newgate without remorse at the Jeast symptom of perjury that might transpire. ifr. Fopperton cast his eycs timidly in the same direction; and it was no doubt somo satisfaction to him to observo that the sleepy Commissioner aras Sast sleep, and thot the other was just going off into a oze. “Well, Mr. Fopperton,” exclaimed Mr. Cadgerbreef, in a very loud and yery overbearing tone, “so you hava come fo oppose the Insolvent’s discharge—have you? Now answer me this question: have you ever been in that box yourself?” pointing at the same timo in a resolute and determined manner towards the place occupied by Mr. Curtis, “Am I bound to answer that question?” asked Mr, Fopperton, becoming considerably crest-fallen all on a sudden, and appealing meekly te his own counsel. “JT am afraid you must,” returned Mr. Bulliwell, “ Well, then, sir—I have had the misfortune to pass through this Court,” said the fashionable tailor, his countenance growing excessively blank. “You have been insolvent,” exclaimed Mr. Cadger- breef. “ Nov, sir, how often have yon petitioned tho Court and been discharged from your labilitics throurh the proceedings of this Court ?” “ Really, sir--I—I——” stammered the West-End tailor, becoming awfully red in the face. “Shall I repeat the question, sir?” demanded the learned counsel, affecting a politeness that was even more galling than his severity had been. You had better answer, Mr, Fopperton,” said Mr Bullivwell. “T can’t say—that is—not exactly——” “Oh! very well—then we shall sco! cried Mr. Cadgerbreef, taking up a pen, dipping it deep intdthe ink, and making believe that he was about totnke Berptige Wa = wen we UL ae oe eee rane = (CO) GIOOKS (CO) =