The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 133: what you’re looking at

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

\ 18 THE MYSTERIES. As he uttered these words, the ruffian took the candle in his hand, and conducted his visitors up the steep and narrow staircase which has been already described. Continuing the ascent until they reached the loft, the party proceeded in silence: but when the Begearman removed the straw and raised the trap- door, Meagles exclaimed, “ What! have we only come up to this height for the purpose of going down again 2?” * Our friend Joe Warren likes to have his private chamber made all safe and secure,” answered the Big Beggarman, with a chuckling laugh: “ ’cause why—there’s a reward offered for his apprehension, and the constables know he frequents this house at times. Indeed, if I couldn’t rely upon you, Mr. Meagles, and on her ladyship, I shouldn’t be ass enough to let you both into the secrets of my crib.” “You have nothing to fear from us, my good fel- low,” said Meagles. “Oh! Iam well assured of that, sir!” exclaimed the Begearman, in an assumed tone of hearty con- fidence. “ Please to follow me down these steps— and in afew moments you'll be with Warren.” Meagles and the Amazon unhesitatingly complied with this invitation; and at the bottom of the stairs, the Beggarman, throwing open a door, stood aside to allow them to enter the chamber. They crossed the threshold: and as the light of the candle which the Beggarman held high up, did not reveal to them the presence of the person whom they expected to meet, they simultaneously turned looks of inquiry upon the ruffian. But the door was instantaneously closed with violence ;—and they heard the strong bolts shooting into their sockets on the outer side. In an- other moment the heavy steps of the Beggarman ascending the stairs, fell upon their ears—and then all was silent! “We are betrayed, Tim!” exclaimed the Amazon, grasping her companion’s arm at hazard in the midst of tle deep darkness which pervaded the room. “Tt seems so, my beauty,” returned Meagles. “ But cheer up—and the devil’s in it if we’re not a match for this scoundrel in the long run.” ~_- -_--—_—— CHAPTER XXXIV. ANOTHER DARK PLOT.—A DARING ADVENTURE. On descending into his little parlour, after perpe- trating this deed of treachery, the Big Beggarman hastily summoned his daughter from the bar ; and, closing the door, he communicated to her all that had taken place. Carrotty Poll was atfirst sorely troubled when she learnt that Ramsey had not only been rescued from a watery grave, but was likely to recover altogether ; and she impatiently inquired of her father what he proposed to do. “The business is awkward—very awkward,” said the Beggarman: “but my mind is made up toa particular course, if so be you've pluck enough to help me.” “JT will do anything, provided I see the utility of it,’ answered the vile young woman. “ But, after all, what have we to dread from this Ramsey? He dares not peach against us. We can tell things of him that would send him to Tuck-up Fair—can’t we? Didn’t he do as much as admit that he and Martin had committed the numerous forgeries of which Sir Richard Stamford is accused ?—and then didn’t he pass off all the spurious coin? Really,, father, I don’t see, when we come to lcok well at the matter, that there’s so much to fear.” “ There’s everything to fear, I tell you,” said the Big Beggarman, savagely. “Don’t I know what natur’ is?—and suppose that Ramsey shouldn’t survive this night’s business, but just recover his senses sufficient to peach—isn’t there achance of his repenting on his death-bed of his own sins, and con- fessing everything to some humbug of a parson? Then out would come all about the spurious coin— the carrying off of Sir Richard Stamford—and this precious evening’s affair;-—-and where should we be? Why—in the Stone Jug before we could lool: round us.” “That’s true enough,” observed Carrotty Poll, struck by the soundness of her father’s reasoning. “And then, again,” continued the Beggarman, “ supposing that Ramsey should recover altogether —wouldn’t he be sure to tell the Magsman how we served him out ?—and there isn’t a more vindictive fellow in all the world than Joe Warren. If he went to the gallows himself along with us, he’d take us there out of pure revenge. And even if he didn’t, he’d cut us for ever—and we can’t very well do without him. Then there’s another point to be considered,” added the herculean ruffian, thus ra- pidly surveying every feature of the emergency in which he and his daughter were placed; “this Tim Meagles and Lady Lade will go and see Ramsey to-morrow—and they will perhaps fish out of him all that has happened; and though they wouldn’t very well dare to tell a magistrate, seeing that they have been mixed up with us in this business of trying to get old Lightfoot’s papers,—still they would be sure to tell the Magsman—and there we are floored again.” “ What do you propose to do, then?” demanded Poll, crossing her thin freckled arms across her scraggy breast. “TI propose to keep Meagles and her ladyship here until to-morrow night,” answered the big Beggarman; “ and in the meantime ——” “Inthe meantime the Magsman may come and want his room,” interrupted Poll sharply. “T can stall him off for a day or two, my dear,” observed her father. “ Won’t it be easy to tell him that Grumley and his men have been seen lurking about the neighbourhood ?” « Well—go on. What next?” demanded the red- haired young woman. “ You must tog yourself off in your best clothes without a moment’s delay,” said the Beggarman ; “ and you must cross the river as soon as possible. Ramsey is lying at the Mariners’ Arms—-and you ain’t known there. You'll pretend to be his sister— or wife—or cousin—or anything you like; and youll say that having missed your unfortunate husband or relative, as the case may be, you made inquiries, and was horror-struck to hear that a genelman answering his description had been fished out of the Thames this evening. You can hint that he’s touched here,” continued the Beggarman, tapping his forehead significantly ; “and that you suppose he attempted to commit suicide in a fit of madness.” “1 understand,” exclaimed Poll. Go on.” “ Well—of course you'll be dreadfully afflicted— and the people at the Mariners’ Arms will feel very much for you. You'llinsist on passing the night by [Ser COLMA (El NOOO KS,COM