The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 153: what you’re looking at

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

122 THE COURT OF LONDON mercial traveller toward the speaker, who was a great, stout, strong-built, ill-visaged ruffian, of middle age, and with an enormous wen upon the crown of his bald head. ‘““T must confess that I am entirely at fault,” said Page, in answer to the man’s observation. “And I don’t mean to enlighten you,” was the gruff rejoinder. ‘‘ Now, then, there’s writing materials, and you'll please to put down on paper just what I’m going to tell you.” Page seated himself at the table, and intimated his readi- ness to begin; whereupon the ruffhian, after some considera- tion at the beginning, and a long pause between the sen- tences, dictated the ensuing letter: “ DeEaR Sir: —I have unfortunately fallen into a trap, and am in the custody of those whom I meant to ensnare. The tables were completely turned against me; and I am in a horrible dungeon, situated I have not the slightest idea where. ‘The men who have thus made me their prisoner mean to hold me fast until five hundred pounds are paid for my ransom. I write this to the dictation of one of them. What I therefore beg of you to do, is to enclose that sum, which must all be in gold, in a bag, label it with a paper bearing the initials J. H. P., and leave it at the bar of the Beggar’s Staff, Horslydown. Within six hours after this is done, I shall have the honour of waiting upon you in Wood Street, to thank you in person for your kindness. Do not flatter yourself that Grumley or any one else will be able to find out where I am, and extricate me. Nothing but your compliance with the above request will accomplish that object. ‘Yours very obediently, J. He PAGE: “Mr. Hodson, Wood Street.” “That will do!” exclaimed the man, reading over the shoulder of the commercial traveller the letter which he himself had dictated, —a process that he considered nec- essary in order to acquire the certainty that nothing more nor less than he had suggested was contained in the docu- ment. “I think that will induce the old merchant to come down handsomely; and, as there’s honour amongst thieves,” COMMICOOOKS. CO) AY