The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 259: what you’re looking at

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

MOTHER BAMBRIDGE’S ESTABLISHMENT 239 A crisis was now reached; Lord Charles and Stanley knew full well that if they separated from each other, they were almost certain to become the prey of superior numbers, for they had no doubt that there were even more bullies at hand than those who were present, and their only chance of a successful resistance, in case of violence, was to keep to- gether. But a thought suddenly flashed to Stanley’s mind, and affecting to drop his pocket-handkerchief close to where Lord Charles sat, he pretended to fall completely upon him as he stooped to. pick it up. This manceuvre afforded him the opportunity of rapidly whispering, “‘ Let us suffer our- selves to be robbed without the slightest resistance.” ‘““Come, do you hear? ”’ cried Mrs. Bambridge; “‘ off with you to bed.” “If you won’t let us sit up any longer,” said Stanley, hiccuping at every word, “I shall go and finish the night at the public-house.”’ “Bravo!” cried one of the four bullies, ‘‘ and we'll go with you.” The door of the room was now opened; Stanley and Lord Charles rose staggeringly from their chairs, and with uneven steps walked into the passage, a girl clinging to the arm of each. In the darkness of that passage, they each felt that their purses and watches were dexterously filched from them; they pretended not to notice it, the front door - Was opened, and as they passed out, it was slammed behind them, neither bullies nor girls being now any longer in their company. They walked away from the immediate vicinage of the place, and observed that both public-house and beer shop were now shut up. This was of no consequence to them, for, as the reader may suppose, Stanley had all along no in- tention of adjourning to either of those places. The dawn of morning was now glimmering, and as they looked back, they perceived the head of one of the girls thrust out of an upper window. They made her an apparently friendly sign, and still staggering along, stopped short, as if in astonish- ment, before the shut-up public-house. Then, with the air of men who determined to carry their tipsy frolics to some place which was yet open, they passed out of the alley, — another glance thrown backwards showing that the girl was still watching their movements. COMMIC 0)(0)0) SS (E() mM