The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 117: what you’re looking at

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

90 THE COURT OF LONDON The commercial traveller remained silent accordingly; and in a few minutes he was led up two or three steps into a house, the door of which had been previously opened in obedience to the summons of the Gallows’ Widow, who had gone on in front for the purpose. Along a boarded passage Page was now conducted, then down a flight of steep stone steps, at the bottom of which he heard the Gallows’ Widow removing the bolts and chain of a door. This process caused a few moments’ delay; and the instant the door swung around upon its grating hinges, a voice, apparently coming from the bowels of the earth, exclaimed, ‘‘ Fiends! will you give me my liberty? ” ‘Not till the conditions are complied with, my ben-cull,”’ responded the Magsman. ‘ But we’ve brought you a com- panion, and you ought at least to thank us for that.” ‘““Miscreants!”’ ejaculated the voice, in a tone of deep, concentrated rage. At the same moment, the Big Beggarman pushed the commercial traveller forward into the cellar or dungeon, and the door was immediately closed with violence. Then there was the din caused by replacing the chain, and by shooting the massive bolts into their sockets; and that ominous noise was followed by the sound of retreating footsteps on the stairs. Page remained standing motionless, breathless, stupefied, until all was silent; then tearing off the bandage from his eyes, but finding himself in total darkness, he sank down upon the damp earth with an ejaculation of indescribable misery. ‘Who are you, unhappy man, that have thus been brought hither to share with me the horrors of this den? ”’ asked the voice which he had before heard. ‘‘T am indeed an unhappy man!” cried Page, clutching his hair on each side of his head with his two hands, and tearing it with frantic violence. “ Not more unhappy than I,”’ responded his companion, bitterly. ‘‘ Oh, my God! when I reflect upon all the mis- fortunes which have fallen upon my devoted head, I feel as if I were going mad — mad!” “Then accident has brought together the two most un- happy beings in existence,’ said the commercial traveller. “ But let us know each other better. My name is Page, and COMICMOOKS COL)