The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 281: what you’re looking at

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

CHAPTER XXII THE HANGMAN IN HIS GLORY AGAIN Iv was about ten o’clock in the morning; and Mr. Daniel Coffin, having disposed of the beards of all his customers, proceeded to scrape off his own. Seldom was the ludicrous more singularly blended with the ferocious than in the expression of that man’s countenance, as he stood before the glass making those grimaces which usually accompany the progress of the razor over the parts whence the capillary stubble is to be removed. Having shaved himself as closely and neatly as he could, the Hangman ascended to his bed- chamber, where he proceeded to dress himself in his Sunday’s apparel; and his toilet being completed, he went down again to his parlour, where he ordered Sally Melmoth to give him a dram of brandy, ‘“‘ to keep the cold out of his stomach.” ‘And where are you off to so smart this morning? ”’ she inquired, as she handed him the liquor. ‘¢ Ay, where indeed? ”’ asked her brother Dick. ‘Well, you'll be surprised, perhaps, when I tell you,” returned Coffin; then, looking hastily around, and observing that Jack the Foundling was not in the room at the moment, he said, in a low voice, “I am going to call on our friend, Mr. Larry Sampson.”’ } | “Larry Sampson!” ejaculated the brother and sister, with looks of amazement. ‘‘ What on earth can you want with him? ” ‘Well, I suppose you are not afraid of my going to his place,” observed the Hangman, with a grim smile of mingled cunning and ferocious satisfaction; ‘it’s no longer the lion’s den into which a fellow situated as I was didn’t dare poke his head; and though Larry himself was for a short 261 CORNICE OOO (CO) im