The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 40: what you’re looking at

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

“ The affair of the pocket-book,” was the Gallows’ Widow's laconic answer as she took a seat, * Ain't it settled, then ?” asked the landlord. “Yes: and the gentleman wants to see my man,” responded the female. “But to speak candidly, I am suspicious—I am afraid there is something wrong; and therefore we had beéter question him first.” “Oh! that’sit—eh ?” exclaimed the Beggarman : and taking up the candle, he held it close to the countenance of the commercial traveller, saying, “If so be he means treachery, I shall see it depicted in his wisage—and then I'm blowed if we don’t make a stiff un of him in no time.” This menace caused Page's blood to run cold in his veins : but arming himself with the courage of desperation, and to some degree sustained by the idea that succour was at hand in case of emergency, he underwent the scrutiny of the landlord without moving a muscle of his face. Indeed, he returned the stare of the man with a steady look of calm defiance, and passed through the ordeal in a way which was positively astonishing to himself. “Its all right—or I’m deucedly deceived,” ex- claimed the Big Beggarman, at length replacing the candle upon the table. “But we'll see what the nib-like cove has to say for himself. First, how- somever, I suppvse he'll stand a bottle of wine ” “ With great pleasure,” observed Page, thrusting his hand into his pocket. “ Port—eh ” said the landlord. A sign in the affirmative was made by the Gal- lows’ Widow, to whom the query was addressed; and the Big Beggarman speedily produced the wine. Then having placed glasses on the table, he took a chair, bidding Page imitate his example. * And now, my good sir,” said the bloated fellow, after having filled the glasses; “you will perhaps taste the lush and then favour us with an explana- tion relative to this wisit.” “The wine is good,” observed the commercial traveller, setting down the glass which he had emptied, aud paying 2 compliment to the Port which it was far from deserving. “But to come to | business, I must ask what guarantee I have that you won't peach against me for anything I am going to say, supposing you and your friends refuse to join in the matter.” “ This isn’t the shop where it’s necessary to put | soch questions, my good geatieman,” responded the |.Beggarman. “Three inches of cold stecl under the ribs is the reward we give for treachery— | and as the Thames runs pretty handy, there's no dificulty in disposing of the dead‘un.” | “Well, I will trust you,” said Page, who had ap- peared to hesitate only for the purpose of giving a aa ae eee ee better colour to the part he was playing. “The truth is ’'m a commercial traveller-——” i “In the employ of Hodson and Morley of Wood | Street,” interrupted the Beggarman; “and your | name's Page. Go on.” | “How did you know all that?” demanded the bag-man, in astonishment. | “The pocket-book was our authority,” answered , the landlord. “What! do you suppose we didn’t overhaul it while it was in our keeping ?” | “ Ahi—trne!” ejaculated Page. “ Well, the fact | is that this affair of the robbery made my employers so cursed suspicious—as it naturally might—that they insisted in going into my accounts; and I THE MYSTERIES. - 33 wasn't very vrell prepared for the investigation.” “ That's the case with a many of you bag-men,” observed the landlord. “Unfortunately it is,” returned the commercial traveller. “You see we are naturally a jovial set and when we get together ———” “Pray go on as quick as possible, sir,” exclaimed the Gallows’ Widow, in a tone of impatience. “I beg your pardon for digressing,” said Page. “To come to the point, then, I am placed in a very awkward predicament. My acoounts are most disagreeably inaccurate—and I stand a chance of having to give an explanation tothe Lord Mayor, and afterwards to the Recorder of London, unless I can get together a couple of hundred pounds by the day after to-morrow.” “ And so you think that it would be as well to finger some of your employers’ hard cash, in order to pay them in their own coin?” observed the Beg- garman. “I begin to twig, you see,” he added with a knowing wink. “You're just right,” responded Page. “If I am to be transported, it may as well be for a burglary as for embezzlement—and that’s the plain English of it. “Spoken like a man!” cried the Big Beggarman, exultingly. “The thing’s as clear as daylight,” he added, turning towards the Gallows’ Widow: “ this gentleman will assist in robbing his employers ; and therefore we must suppose that he is well ac- quainted with the place where they keep their cash and the probable amount that is to be got by the venture.” ‘“‘T know that they never have less than seven or eight huadred pounds in the strong-box,” said Page; “and I should not be fool enough to risk the matter unless I was convinced that success is certain.” .“We may let him see the Magsman,” observed the Gallows’ Widow, in her abrupt, laconic way: for the suspicions which she had prevfously enter- tained were now almost completely dissipated. “ Follow me, sir,” she added ; and rising from her seat, the woman opened the little door already mentioned. “Take the candle with you, my gal,” said the Beggarman. “I must remain at the bar; for there's no lack of customers to-night.” The Gallows’ Widow took up the light, and began to ascend a staircase so steep and narrow that it was a wonder to Page how such a bloated personage as the landlord could ever force himself into so circumscribed a space: for that he was occasionally compelled to pass that way to the upper regions of the house, the commercial traveller naturally conceived. The landing on the first floor was very small, and had two doors opening from it: but the woman, pausing not there, commenced the ascant of another flight as Iadder-like as the former; and on reaching the top, she led the way into a large loft immediately beneath the angular roof. Page looked rapidly around, in the expectation of beholding the Magsman: for as there appeared | to be no other door than the one by which they | had just entered the place, he as a matter of course presumed that they had reached their destination. He was however mistaken. Giving Page the candle to hold, the Gallows’ Widow speedily removed a quantity of straw that COMIGROO S COMM