The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 284: what you’re looking at

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

250 THE COURT OF LONDON ‘‘ Sneak, sir, be quick, and let us put an end to this scene,” said Mrs. Brace, trembling all over and speaking in a voice that was painfully agitated, despite the desperate efforts which she made to preserve her self-possession; but every look which was darted upon her by either Grumley or the Gallows’ Widow, and every word which fell from their mouths, carried with a more poignant intensity to the soul of the miserable woman the harrowing conviction that she was utterly and totally in the power of both. “Madam,” observed Elizabeth Marks, again speaking in her quiet manner, “it is very evident from what Mr. Grumley has said that he is disposed to assent to a compro- mise on my behalf, and therefore any delay which arises will be caused only by you.” ‘“ That’s true enough,” exclaimed the Bow Street officer. ‘ And now for the conditions that I have to propose.”’ “ Speak!’ ejaculated Mrs. Brace, with a nervous iri- tability which showed how tensely her feelings were strung. ‘In the first place,” said Grumley, “‘ you will pay me, ma’am, the fifty guineas which I lose by letting this young ’ooman escape me.” ‘“ Agreed!” exclaimed the milliner. ‘‘ What next? ”’ “And you will consent,” rejoined the constable, “ to the little favour I was asking you just at the very moment when the servant came into the room to announce the Gallows’ Widow.” The lascivious twinkling of Grumley’s eyes and the blush of indignation and shame which all in a moment overspread the countenance of Mrs. Brace revealed to the keen per- ception and far-sighted experience of Elizabeth Marks the nature of the favour to which allusion had just been made; and the expression of mingled satire, malicious glee, and subdued astonishment which instantaneously appeared upon the woman’s pale features, struck the milliner in her turn, making her aware that the Gallows’ Widow had pene- trated into the nature of the constable’s pretensions. ‘“‘ My God! ”’ almost screamed forth the wretched milliner, her feelings now goaded to the verge of desperation, ‘‘ would that I were dead — dead! ”’ And she repeated the word with a frightful emphasis. ‘‘ Compose yourself, madam,” said Elizabeth Marks, with S CO