The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 145: what you’re looking at

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THE lordship. But still I was resolved to know more of my man; and J aceordingly got out of him _ which public-house he frequented. For I thought to myself, * Yow'll be going there, perhaps, presently: and I may as well watch your proceedings a little | farther while Iam about it”—So I went to the head- constable of Richmond, who is a friend of mine; _ and there I speedily transmogrified myself again. 1 washed off the soot and black—dressed myself in a peasant’s garb—painted my face to have the florid look of country-people—and put on a wig of light hair that resembled a piece of a new door- mat. ‘Thus discuised, I went back to the King’s _ Arms (where I had previously taken a glass of ale on passing along just to keep up appearances in ' ease John should inquire whether a knife-grinder had been there). ‘Taking my seat in the tap-room and calling for some refreshments, I waited pa- tiently to see what would turn up. Presently in came a fellow who holds a sort of official situation in the City—not a very creditable or enviable one either—in plain terms, the Hangman, Daniel Coffin: and I thought to myself that the plot was thickening—tor I had long suspected Coffin of _ being a thorough-paced villain aud secretly con- _ necied with thieves and burglars, although I had _ never been able to bring anything regularly home ee _ chief of the gang. _ a -- — _ goods and melter of plate. ‘Yo be brief, I obtained | ‘in from the ‘Chames at the moment—aud to this —-—— NN SS ' to him. Well, my !ord, in a short time who should walic 1a but Johu the fuotman? He looked at me suspiciously for a imouient; but I could have defied him to recognise me, inasmuch as the Hangman, who was waiting for him, and who knows me as well as I know him, had failed to discover me through my disguise. ‘They talked in a low tone: but my ears are as keen as my eyes are sharp— and I heard euough to convince me that John was in league with the desperadoes to a certain extent, and that Daniel the Hangman was one of them.” “Now that you mention the name of Daniel,” ejaculated the Marquis of Leveson, “I recollect that one of the scdundrels was so addressed by the In fact this Daniel was sent to get a sheet of paper to wrap up the pocket-book in the manner I described to you on ‘Tuesday morniny. But to think that I have been in com- pany with the Pubjic Executioner !” exclaimed the Marquis, his aristocratic pride horribly offended and his exquisite sense of refinement deeply dis- - gusted., “Well, my lord, these things will happen in life,” MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. eee a eee ee 131 _—- which was to inform me that any particular person was to be followed. Well, at midnight precisely I went away. Hastening home, I speedily resumed | my disguise as a knife-grinder; and off I sped to | Jacob’s Island—a horrible place in Bermondsey— | where I knew that there was a den of resort for all | kinds of infamous characters. I was likewise aware that it was the night for old Jeremy to visit the house to transact his business; and I thought it not improbable that the Hangman would be a there to speak to him concerning that other crime | which he and the livery-servaut had planned at | the King’s Arms, Richmond. At all events I fan- cied I might learn something of use to me in the © matters I had in hand; and relying upon the ex- cellence of my disguise, I went boldly into the lion’s © den. —or rather on Thursday morning, when I got there; and knowing how to patter flash—which means, my lord, to talk the slaug language—I was enabled to pass myself off as a regular desperate character. Tt was a little past one on Wednesday night | My pretext for the visit was a desire — to see old Jeremy; and to him I told some tale | of an intended robbery and a larye booty in anti- . cipation, which quite won the ancient villain’s heart, Presently the Hangman came sure enough; | and to him I repeated the same story, enlisting him as an accomplice iw the pretended crime that was as yet in embryo. From the rascals assem- bled at the den I subsequently succeeded in ylean- ing a little useful intelligence relative to the pro- — ceedings of some notorious dealers in spurious * ° i coin: but nota word was spoken concerning the outrage of Monday night. Of course I could not . broach the subject; aad I was thinking of taking © wy departure when a young lady was iaveigled into the house, her—-and the rascals proposed to murder her. The assassination being determined upon, I pro- posed to do the deed myself ——” ; “What on earth was that for, Mr. Sampson?” inquired the Marquis, in amazement. * Because it was the ouly way to prevent some 2 She had money and jewels about — one else from doing the job in reality,” responded | Larry, in bis wonted imperturbable manner. “ I was | accordingly deputed io imurder the young lady— avd I went into the room where she was sleeping. — Of course I immediately heiped her to escape: but 1 suppose the noise of opening the shutter or | helping her out of the window, reached the ears of _ observed Larry Sampson, quietly. “But to con. | the viliains—.and, suspecting something, tiey tinue my narrative, [ must state that finding the | forced open the chamber-door, rushing in after us. Hangman and the footman getting confidential and communicative with each other, I pretended to be asleep; and then they talked more unreservedly, To be brief, the young lady got sate off, while I fell down and was stunned by the blow. What a certain old Jeremy, a notorious receiver of stolen | for when L came to my senses, I was plunged into a pretty insight into the characters of those two worthies ; and when they were gone, I also took , iswept me ualoug with tremendous violence; but my departure. 1 now saw that I was on the right scent in the investigation of your lordship’s affair : and I deliberated what I should do next—becaunse lordship required it to be sifted without any noise and in avery quiet manner. All day Wednesday, as your lordship is aware, I was standing opposite your house disyuised as a begvar: but nothing came of that stratagem the affair was a delicate one, inasmach as your | my services were useless, | as your Jordship’s Vvaict wid not give the signal | Said: “but as it was not, there is vo use in fright the ditch behind the house, ‘The tide was flowing circumstance do 1 owe wy salyation, ‘The current 1 caught the supporters of a bridge—litted myself out of the water—and was thus saved,” * Good heavens, Mr. Sampson, what a peril you escaped!” cried the Marquis of Leveson, shudder- ing at the bare thought of the horrible situation —— | now followed L can ouly conjecture: but J suppose . planning a new crime and mentioning the name of | that the ruffians determined upon murdering me— which the Bow Street officer nevertheless treated with remarkable coolness. “Well, my lord, it might have been fatal,” he CORMELOOOKS (CO)