The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 248: what you’re looking at

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

228 THE COURT OF LONDON with a covert sarcasm in his tone, ‘‘ to see six genelmen all so well-to-do in their circumstances and so full of blunt as you are, and not able just at this present speaking to raise. six shillings between you all.” “It is provoking — very,” said one of the party, looking full at Malpas; ‘‘ and if I knew anybody who would just lend me as much as six shillings till to-morrow morning, I would send them in to him with my card and a note of thanks just as he sat down to his breakfast.” The colonel, who was too wide-awake not to see through the characters of the six gentlemen, made no remark, and indeed affected not to observe that any hint had been thrown out toward himself. ‘Did you speak, sir?” said the foremost of the party, now boldly addressing the colonel, but with a very bland look and polite bow. ‘No, sir, I said nothing,’’ replied Malpas, somewhat sulkily. | ‘“‘ There, by heavens! the gentleman is a trump,” vocifer- ated the previous speaker. ‘“ He offers to treat us to glasses of negus around. Come, waiter, look alive; the gentleman is anxious to pay his footing, and we are anxious to drink his health.’ The colonel was so taken aback by the cool impudence | of this proceeding that he could not return a negative to the inquiring look which the waiter threw upon him; and this functionary, acting upon the principle that silence gives consent, at once shuffled away to execute the order. ‘“‘ Newcomer, sir? ”’ said one of the party to the colonel. “Yes, I am sorry to say so,” responded Malpas, not deeming it prudent to treat his fellow prisoners with any marked coolness. ‘“ Going to stay here long? ’”’ asked another. “‘ In for much? ” blandly inquired a third. iy Going through the court?’ mildly asked a fourth. “Or going to bail out? ”’ said a fifth. : ‘‘ If you stay here any time,” observed the sixth, ‘ you’ll want aroom. Now, as there are only about a hundred and twenty rooms in the place, each not large enough to swing a cat in, and seven hundred prisoners to live in them all, it’s rather a difficult thing to get a room to oneself at any price. But as you seem to be a regular gentleman and are EONMNIC OOKS.EO