The Mysteries of London, Vol. IV — page 42: what you’re looking at

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eS OS ee fet THE MYSTERICS oF LONDON. ; | — ee ee a ee 85 A ra a apis down the answers to be given to his questions—so as | fully and imploringly remonstrated the tailor, to catch the opposing creditor out perjuring himself, if possible: “will you swear, Mr. Fopperton, that you have not been insolvent seven times?” “Yes, sir—I will swear to that,” returned the tailor, With alacrity. “You will swear. Well—will you swear that you have not been insolvent five times?” “Yes, sir—I will swear to that too.” “You will swear te that, too. Now mind what you ’re about, Mr. Fopperton: take care what you say,” cried Mr. Cadgerbreef, in a tone of awful menace. eWill you swear that you have not been insolvent three times?” “No, sir-—I—I can’t swear to that,” answered the tailor, looking very miserable. “You can’t swear to that. Now, can you deny it?” “No, sir—I cannot,” said Mr. Fopperton. “You cannot,” repeated Mr. Cadgerbrecf, casting a glance at Captain O’Blunderbuss, which seemed to say, “Thave him now!”—then, again addressing himself to the opposing creditor, he exclaimed in a demineer- ing, browbeating manner, “Take care What you are about, Mr. Fopperton ;—and now tell me whether you have not been bankrupt, as well as insolvent, several times,” “No—only once bankrupt,” cried Mr. Fopperton, impatiently. “Well—onee bankrupt—and enough too, when coupled with three insolvencies!” said the learned gentleman, in a tone which very significantly implied his belief that the opposing creditor was the greatest “And pray how much scoundrel in the universe. have you cver paid in the shape of dividend, sir?” “JT really can’t say at this moment: I-——” “Oh! you can't—can't you!” cried Mr. Cadger- breef: “then I’ see if Tean refresh your memory ;°"— and, taking out of his pocket a letter from some friend or relation, he pretended tu examine it with very great attention, as if it contained some danining testimony relative to Mr. Fopperton’s dealings —although, in reality, it had no more connexion with him or his affairs than with the man in the moon, “T think I recollect now, sir,” said the West-End {ailor, getting frightened: “ I—I——” “Well, sir—can you answer my question?” de- manded Mr. CadgerLreef, laying his forc-finger on the letter ina marked and formal manner, just as if he were pointing to the very paragraph which furnished all requisite information respecting the tailor. “1 will repeat it again for you: how much have yeu ever paid, collectively and under all your numerous insol- vencics and frequent bankruptcies, in the shape of dividend?” “Two-pence three farthings in the pound, sir,” an- swercd Mr. Fopperton, in a low tone. «Speak out, sir!” vociferated the learncd counsel, althioneb he heard perfectly well what had been said. “Tio-pence three farthings in the pound,” ex- ciarmcd the unfortunute Snip, v,ho already repented moet Ditterly that, by coming to oppese Mr. Frank Curtis, he bad fallen into the hands of Mr. Cadger- brook, - “'Two-pence three farthings in the pound,” repeated this Icarned gentleman, tossing up his head as if in unmitigated abhorrence at such awful villainy, “And pray, sir, what was the aggregate of liabilities under a11 your innumerable insolvencies and your equally noenneriess bankruptcies ?” ~z never was bankrupt more {han once, sir,” mourn now worked up to a frightful pitch of nervousness an misery, “Don’t shirk my question, sir!” exclaimed the bar- rister, sternly. “How much did all your liabilities—" “Thirty thousand pounds, sir,” hastily cried Mr. Fopperton, anticipating the repetition of the query on the part of the learned gentleman. “Be Jasus! and he’s a complete villain!” said Captain O’Blunderbuss, in such a loud tone that both the Commissioners woke up: whereupon the gallant officer affected to be seized with a sudden inclination to gaze up abstractedly at the sky-light, just for all the world as if he were quite innocent of any fresh in- terruption, “ Now, Mr. Fopperton,” exclaimed Mr, Cadgerbreef, seeing that the Commissioners were all attention just at this moment, and taking a skilful advantage of the circumstance, “under your numerous insolyencies and frequent bankruptcics—don’t interrupt me, sir— you have paid two-pence three farthings in the pound, on aggregate liabilities amounting to thirty thousand pounds. The Court will be pleased to notice these facts. And yet, Mr. Fopperton, we find you discount- ing a thousand pounds’ worth of Dills for my client, the Insolvent. The Court will again please to take a note of this fret.” Of course the Commissioners could not help making —or at Ieast affecting to make the memoranda sug- gested by the Icarned counsel: so the sleepy one scrawled a zig-zag line a¢ross his note-book, and the other hit off a rapid sketch of Captain O’Blunder- buss’s face, Mr. Commissioner Sneesby being very pro- ficient in that style of drawing. The two function- aries then laid down their peng, and looked as solemn and serious as if they had actually and positively taken the notes in the most business-like manner possible. Now, sir,” continued Mr. Cadgerbrcef, once more turning to the opposing creditor, “will you tell the Court how much hard cash you gave the Insolvent for his acceptance of one thousand pounds?” “Neally, sir, the occurrence is so long ago—I~ ae “Will you swear, man, that you gave him two hundred pounds?” demanded the learned counsel. im- patiently. “Yes, sir—I will,” was the instantaneous answer, “eWill you swear that you gave him four hundred ?” —and Mr, Cadgerbreef dipped his pen into the ink with an air of awful determination. “Why—no—TI can’t exactly——”" stammered the tailor, every instant becoming more and more nervous. “Will you swear that you gave him three hundred and twenty pounds in hard cash for that bill?” de- manded Mr. Cadgerbreef, “That was just what I did pay in money,” replied Mr. Fopperton, in a hesitating manner, “That was just what yon did pay. Now tell the learned Commissioners what else you gave the Insol- vent for that bill.” ‘ “There was three hundred and twenty in cash— and four hundred and twenty in wines, pictures, and other objects of value—~—" “Come—that only gives us seven hundred and forty,” cried the barrister: “how do you make up the rest?” “A hundred pounds discount, sir—and—~"’ “A hundred pounds discount, Well—what nex?” “Sixty pounds comamssion, sir—and—” (C(O) (C DOO SS (SO)