The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 24: what you’re looking at

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

, | SAA a I On a a ae HE MYSTERTES. 7 former; and in breathices haste he assailed the driver of the latter with a hast of questions. “Which way is he ganc?—where has he hidden himself? —what did he say ?” “Who d’ye mean ?” demanded the ecachmaa be- longing to the yellow vehicle. “ Why—-your fare, to be sure,” anewered Page: “the gentleman in the cloak !” “ Well—he didn’t say much,” was the response; “oaly when he happened to twig that you or some one with ye was hanging half-way out of that eoach, be instantly called out to me to stop, tossed me a “Bat ia which direction?” demanded the impatient commercial traveller. “Ah! there you bother me,” returned the map, evidently fencing with the question. “You mean that he gave you 4 guinea not to an- swer any queations ?” cried the astute Page. “ Come —here are two; aud gow tell me the trash.” “ Thank‘'ee kindly, sir,” seid the jarvey, leaning down from his box to receive the gold which Page nanded up te him: then having clutched the reward, oo added, “ But it’s precious little information I can give you, sir. All I know is that when the gentle- man jumped out of the coach, he cut across the road and was out of sight in a minute. Whether he turned down the lane there—or whether he went into one of the little gardens in front of the houses close by, I really can’t say. But it must have been one or t’other—for he disappeared in a jiffey.” “And that’s all you can tell me for the two guineas '” exclaimed the irritated commercial tra- veller. “ Every bit, air,” responded the man; and whip- ping his horses as he thus spoke, the yellow vehicle tolled rapidly away. “ Perdition !” cried Page: “he has fairly swindled me! But never mind—I shall not give up the chase—so follow me, my men, as quick as you choose.” And, conceiving that it was not worth while to return into the vehicle in order to accomplish the little distance to the spot where the object of pur- suit had desconded from the yellow coach, the com- mercial traveller toak to his heels—rushiog along the road like a madman. Grint and Speesby, supposing that Page intended them to follow him likewise on foot, now leapt out of the vehicle: but the coachman, suddenly im- pressed with the idea that his fare were endeavour- ing to bilk hfm, bounded from the box, and laid a rigorous grasp upon the collars of the two consta- bies. An altercation now took place which accupied ten minntes; for Mr. Sneesby looked to his principal, Mr. Grint, to emancipate him from any liability in the case—and, on his side, Mr. Grint was fearful that ifhe once paid the money, he should not be able to recover it again from Mr. Page. At length the two eonstables determined upon re-entering the vehicle and driving after the commercial traveller ; and this plan was accordingly adopted. In the meantime Mr. Page, having reached that part of the road where he fancied that the object of pursuit must have concealment semewhere or other, began to knock at every door in the row of hoases with the gardens in front ; but to his reiterated question whether a tall tleman in a cloak had ‘ust taken refuge there, he was met by a decisive mates of half-a-dozen dwellings—for it was row nearly eleven o’clock—he was en the point of giving up the pursuit m despair, when suddenby he recol- Jeeted the lame to which the driver of the yellow coach had alluded. “Well, I won't be beaten yet awhile,” he mar- mured to himself; and away he sped along the lane, not pausing to reflect whether the constables were following him, nor whether, if he did sncoeed in ovestaking the fugitive, he could possibly seoure him without their assistanes. On therefore rushed Mr. Page, as if he himself were pursued by the officers of justice; and heaven knows how long he would have thus exercised his speed, had he not suddenly been stopped by a huge fellow, whom he encountered at a tarning m the lane. The moonlight fell upon 2s villanous a physiognomny as ever one would expect to meet out- sade of Newgate; and the commeretal traveller was by no way reassured when a more attentive exami- nation of the man made him acquainted with the fact that he carried a great club-stiek in me hand The result was inevitable, and just what our veaders might suppose. Ms. Page was cempalled te susrender hia purse, his watch, and his gold ring upon the spot ; and the rebber, not satisfied with this beoty, insested Upon searching his victim's garments. A morta] terror now came over the miserable cominercial traveller: for al] in an inetant it flashed to his memory that he had about him hie pocket- boek containing bills of exchange and other docu- ments of importance, which he had received during the last week of his tour, and which belonged to hie employers, Messrs. Hodson and Morley ef Woed Street. “ Come, now,” exclaimed the ruffian, as Mr. Page exhibited an inclination to offer resistance to the attempt at personal search,—“ nose of your garmmen with me; or I'll dash your brains out!” And seizing the collar of the writhing vieim with one hand, he brandished the club in a menacing manner with the other: so that Mr. Page was forced to surrender at discretion. The pocket-book was accordingly discovered by the thief in the course ot afew moments; and when he had hashly glanced on ite contents by the moonlight, he said in an ab- rupt tone of interrogation, “ Bills ef exehange—oh ?” “Y.e-8," replied the miserablo Page, who was shivering frem head to foot, alike through cald and terror. “ Well—they’re of more use to you than they are to me,” continued the rope 4 “and so you May have the beok back again for fifty guineas.” “ Fifty guineas!" repeated the unhappy com- mercial traveller. “I haven't got a farthing left about me. You have taken my purse, which coa- tains ten or a dozen guineas——”’ “ A miserable trifle!” exclaimed the rebber. “Is it worth your while to give fifty guineas to have the pocket-book back, with all ite contents just as they are ?”? “Worth my while!” cried Page, a gleam of hope breaking in upon him even through the black cloud of his present misfortune : “ to be sure it is! I should be ruined—utterly ruined—if I didn’t recover it.” “Well, then,” said the man, “I'll tell you how we can manage the affair. To-morrow night at nine o'clock preeisely, you must be walking about at the beginning of Tooley Street—just over London Bridge COMIGROO S COMM