The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 183: what you’re looking at

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

leew ee ae ECTS I doe [HB MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. 172 at, jeered, gibed, joked, and taunted by a motley crowd of some two hundred persons. His orders were quickly issued to the driver of the cart—or the potato person, as Mr. Boalby's landlady politely and courteously designated him. The mummy was thrust back into the trunk—the trunk was taken upon the shoulders of the potato person,—who, preceded by the indignant Mr. Fos- silton, began to ascend the stairs towards Mr. Bealby’s apartments. The little scene which we have described from the moment of the tilting up of the cart, to that when the unfortunate mummy was being borne back to him who had manufactured and vended it, occupied about five minutes. Let us see what in the interim had taken place in the apartments of Bealby himself. From his window the fabricator of curiosities had observed the catastrophe; and he had seen the cobbler emerge from the public-house. In him he recognised the very man of whom he had bought the old leather which formed one of the component parts of themummy. Then he perceived his friend Mr. Benjamin Limber vanishing from the scene; and he felt convinced that some disturbance would ensue. “ Deuce take it !” he exclaimed, retreating from the window, and hastening back to the case in which tho Burker was coffined. “ Here’s an accident !|—the cart has upset—the mummy has tumbled out I think the trick is discovered !” ‘© What trick P” exclaimed the Burker, with so sudden a start, convulsively given inside the case, that i¢ was a wonder he did not smash the glass lid above him. “Nothing about you!’ replied Bealby hastily. “That cursed mummy I mean !”—and back again! he ran to the window. “As I live, that old scuun- dre] Foesilton is having the mummy brought back ! I shall be compelled to disgorge the twenty pounds |” “I say,” vociferated the Burker from the glass case, “ I’ve had enough of this—I can stand it no longer! Just let meout. ‘My limbs is all cramped —a hundred million needles and pins is a pricking my feet. Let me out, I say |—or I shall be suffi- cated.” “Stop! an idea strikes me!” ejaculated Bealby. “What if I get old Fossilton to take you off to his house But no! it will never do!” “ And why not P” asked the Burker. “ Blowed if I don’t think it’s the best thing to be done. Just leave me to manage the old rogue when I do get to his house——”’ “No, no!” responded Bealby: “no harm—no violence !” ** Nonsense ! life 99 “It must beso!” said Bealby. “ Hush!—they are mounting the stairs !”—and he turned to meet the indignant archwologist, whose cane was fiercely tapping evory step as he led the way to the second atorey. I'll only frighten him out of his — —o a2 ee ee CHAPTER CXVIII. THE ARCHROLOGIS?. Tue landlady, who had been standing at her front door to look at the accident, the crowd, and the disturbance, made way for Mr. Fossilton and the potato person to enter. Then, closing the door in the face of the crowd that came to peep in with intense curiosity, she followed the enraged archsx- ologist and the bearer of the trunk up the stairs, —not rightly comprehending what had taken place, and therefore all the more anxious to push herself into Bealby’s apartments. “‘ Here, sir, is a pretty trick you've played me!” exclaimed Mr. Fossilton, as he entered Bealby’s front room. ““ One word, my dear air,” said the ready-witted Mr. Bealby. “ Here are your bank-notes : but just allow me to explain myself—and if my ex- planation is not satisfactory, you can take your money and be off with you. Here, you man, put down that trunk—there’s half-a-crown for you— and take yourself off with your cart. Just have the kindness to tell that other carter who is wait- ing, to remain yet a little while ; and I will settle with him also.” Mr. Bealby issued his instructions with much composure and self-possession: the trunk contain- ing the unfortunate mummy was deposited upon the floor—the potato person touched his hat for the half-crown, and took his departure. “ Now, my dear ma’am,” said Bealby to the landlady, thrasting another shilling into her hand, “ just get something to comfort you after all this disturbance—and leave me to explain matters to my friend Mr. Fosesilton.” The landlady accordingly vanished : the door was closed —and the old archmologist, assuming «& peremptory air, said, “ Now, Mr. Bealby, for these explanations.” “ They are speedily given,” was Bealby’s ready response. “ It is all nonsense about crying down the mummy, and all falsehood that the cobbler told you, just because I happened to owe him for a pair of shoes. Pray don’t interrupt me! I see that you think the mummy to be worthless: you are prejudiced Well, let it be granted that it és an imposture——I at least took it for a genuine article. However, it was not the one you were going to have sent up to you——”” “How? what do you meanP” demanded Mr. Fosailton. “You bought the mummy in the glass case—and there it is, ready packed to be sent to you. [I said so from the very first 7 “Ah! but you afterwards denied it,” said Mr. Fossilton: “ you told me likewise you had packed other things in the glass case——” * All nonsense on my part!” ejaculated Bealby. “You saw that young gentleman who was with me —the one who went and fetched the cart? Well, he came to buy a mummy—this was last night—he took a fancy to the one in the glass case, and offered me fifty pounds for it. Iagreed—but I did not mean to let him have it: I intended it all along for you. I meant to give him another in shotr, that’ very one that the hubbub has just been about. But he came early this morning to secure his bar- COMIC DOG (CO