The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 333: what you’re looking at

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

THE HANGMAN’S PROCEEDINGS 307 shut the door, and locked it. He then approached the washing-stand, threw off his coat, and prepared to commence his ablutions. From behind the curtain Daniel Coffin watched his movements, and presently he beheld the old man bend over the basin to bathe his face with a sponge. Now was the moment! Grasping his dagger-knife firmly in his right hand, the Hangman slipped from behind the curtain, one stride took him within reach of his victim, and then, with a tremendous blow, the stiletto was driven deep down between the old man’s shoulders. A cry, but not a loud one, burst from the lips of Jeremy Humpage, and he rolled down upon the floor, a corpse. The murderer, without the slightest remorse for the crime he had just committed, proceeded to rifle the pockets of his victim, and thence he took what money they contained, as well as a bunch of keys. One of these fitted the safe, in which the Hangman found gold and bank-notes to the amount of about five hundred pounds, as nearly as he could guess at the quick glance he threw over the treasure. But he had no time to waste, for he did not fail to recollect that the Swag Chovey Bloak was on his way to Larry Sampson’s. Having secured the gold and notes about his person, the Hangman was on the point of retreating from the room when he suddenly recollected that his clasp-knife might prove serviceable in case of any danger he should have to encounter elsewhere. He accordingly drew it forth from the body of his victim, wiped it upon a towel, closed the blade, and put it into his pocket. He then unlocked the door, and was.issuing forth from the chamber when, in the passage, he found himself face to face with the old house- keeper, who, knowing that her master had purposed to sit up all night, had risen and dressed herself to get him some breakfast. The woman, although she knew Daniel Coffin well, and was aware that he transacted business with Humpage, was nevertheless amazed and terrified to behold him there at such an hour, especially as he was stealing forth from old Jeremy’s chamber, for she was not aware that he had ar- rived at the house at all, and that he had been admitted by her master himself while she slept. Besides, his looks were now so full of a diabolic expression that his aspect alone at (C(O) nn) GDoOOo <Si nin