The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 141: what you’re looking at

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

130 THE MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. veiled one: but in the twinkling of an eye the weapon which the miscreant held was buried deep | ceeded Toby. “ Why, because when the old feller in the victim’s bosom. Down she fell without an- | came to his-self this morning, he recalled to mind other cry—with only a low brief moan; and at | everything wot had took place; and then he re- that very instant the Burker was alarmed by the | collected the partickler way in which bis friend of sounds of footsteps approaching from behind the | the previous night had spoke and wot a rum sort clump of evergreens that had formed his ambush. ;of lingo be had. He even wondered it hadn’t He darted away—plunged amongst the trees at the | struck him at the time: but having no suspicion, farther extremity of the garden—clambered the | and thinking as how it was all right and that he fenco—and gained the adjoining fields. 'had got into unkimmon good and respectable com- After making a long circuit, the Burker re-| pany, i¢ wasn’t much to be wondered at if the entered London somewhere in the neighbourhood old feller was thrown completely off his guard.” of the Edgeware Road. It was now ten o’clock;' “And how did you hear all this, Toby?” in- and as he passed along at a moderate pace, he said ; quired one of the company: “how did you get to himself, “At eleven punctiwal every night!— , hold of it, old chap? Teil us.” that was the agreement! I shall be in plenty of | “ Cos why I know’s summut of Chubb’s servant- time; and if so be I wasn't, his Graee would not gal—and she told me all about it. There is a “ How did they know it was the Burker ?” pro- be pertikler to a minnit or two.” genelman which goes to see the old man—Carna- Mr. Barnes remembered that jnasmuch as be | bie, that’s his name again; and this genelman, it was personating a Jew of venerable rance,|seems, called at the house last night just at the with a long black gabardine and ¢ grey eard, he | very moment Barney the Burker was leaving it.” must not proceed too quickly, for fear lest the eye| ‘ Well, and I ’spose the traps have had the office of some detective should settle its glance upon | tipped ’em, eh P” him. ‘Ah! you may be pretty sure of that,” re- “Tt’s a burning shame,” said the miscreant | sponded Toby: “but it was all done in a very within himself, “that one can’t walk through the | snug and quiet way, so that the business might uot streets of London without standing the chance of | get into the papers: for this Carnabie is a parish- having the looks of impertinent curiosity riveted | clerk somewhere down in the country—and of on one’s self.” course it wouldn’t be respectable for such an old As he thus mused upon bis wrongs, the Burker | file to be knowed to get hisseilf so stupid drunk pursued his way; and on looking at the clock in a | and make such a fool of hissel®.” baker’s shop, which was not as yet shut up,be| “Ah! the Burker’s a clever edve,” eaid another found that he had a good half-hour’s leisure before | of the compahy. ‘“ What a hand he must be at a keeping the appointment on which he was bent. | disguise! Blow me, what a hand!” - He therefore resolved to procure some refresh-| “I should have knowed him,” exclaimed the ment: for many hours had elapsed since either | man who answered to the name of Toby. “There's food or drink had passed his lips. He entered a | never a disguise that he could have put on so good low public-house which he k:.ew of old, but where | as to prevent mo from twigging on him.” he was tolerably certain he would not be recog-| Here the Burker, having finished his refresh- nised in the costame that he now wore. There | ments, thought he had heard enough : but he had were five or six villanous-looking ruffians drink. | very little fear indeed of being recognised by Toby, ing in the tap-room, which was clouded with | notwithstanding all the fellow’s boasting. Indeed, tobacco smoke; and the Burker, shrinking with | exhilarated by the malt liquor he had imbibed, the all a Jew’s wonted timidity, into the obscurest | miscreant chuckled inwardly at the opportunity corner, kept his countenance as much averted as | of thus patting the boaster to the test; and rising possible, while he ate the bread and cheese and | from his seat, he walked more slowly through the drank the beer which he had ordered. A rapid | room than when he had entered it. Toby stared glance swept over the company, had made him | at him, but only with a passing curiosity—and not aware that two or three of the men were person- | with the faintest suspicion: so that the Burker ally known to him: but it by no means suited his | issued from the publio-house chuckling more intentions to reveal himself or claim their ac- | blithely than before. quaintance. The company, on their part, were; He now continued his way towards Pimlico ; and not particularly surprised with the presence of | he entered a narrow and somewhat obscure street, one whom they took to be a Jew: for at the | just asa neighbouring church clock was striking public-house of which we are speaking there was | eleven. One side of the street was formed Ly a wall at times a congregation of a variety of characters. | belonging to the grounds of some mansion: and Nevertheless the conversation was temporarily | trees overhung the iron railing which fenced the suspended when the Burker entered and glided | top of this wall. In the shade of these trees the into the corner: but it was speedily renewed again. | Burker beheld a gentleman lounging along, and “Well, what about that there business, then, | smoking a cigar as if with the ease of a rakish Toby ?” inquired one of the men thus addressing | listlessnces. This personage was the Duke of & companion. Marchmont; and the Burker, acoosting him, said, “Why, you see, Tammas,” was the response, | “ Good evening, my lord.” “he made the old feller as drunk asa fiddler, and| “Who are you?” demanded the Duke with no doubt hocussed his grog.” haughty curtness: but when the Burker burst out “ Yes—you told us that just now,” interrupted | into a coarse though half-subdued chuckle, the the individual who had previously spoken. ‘“ But | nobleman exclaimed, “ What! is it possible —yos did they know as how it was the Burker?—My | in this disguise P”’ eyes! what a gulp of heavy wet that old Jew has| “Yes, my lord: it’s my own werry identical jast took!” he added, in a lowered voice. self,” responded the Barker. “There's beon & COMMICOOOKS (CO