The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 282: what you’re looking at

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

— | 268 THE MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. you that if I was to think over it a hundred years, I couldn't be more convinced than I am at this instant that it was Taggarty who must have peached.” “But what are you going to Larry Sampson’s for this morning 2?” asked his mistress. “Why, theres five or six fellows to be tucked up down in the country,’ answered the Hangman, with a sinister leer; “and I was going to ask Larry just to drop a note to the sheriffs of those counties and recommend me as a gentleman which does his business in a neat, agreeable, and work- manlike manner in the hanging line :’—and he gave another low chuckling laugh the mirth of which was as pleasant as that of a hyena. “But you don’t want such country custom, do you?” asked Sally, in surprise. “No such thing,” returned Coffin: “but what I do want is an excuse to have a chat with Larry Sampson. I dare say he’ll let bygones be bygones and talk pleasant enough when he sees that Iam civil on my side. Larry isn’t a fellow to bear grudges: but I am though—desperately—infer- nally !” he added with terrible emphasis. ‘“ And what do you want to talk to him about ?” asked Sally, now questioning the Hangman with more timidity than at first—for his temper ap- peared to be lowering. “ But perhaps you hope to be able to worm out some secrets from Larry Sampson?’ “A little in that way,” responded the Hangman, with a grim smile, which reassured his mistress and her brother as to the condescending and com- municative humour he was in. * What IL chiefly want to see is whether Larry will speak to me about Jack the Foundling at all. For don’t you see that it was so odd he should get all that infor- mation from ‘l‘aggarty—drop so many hints about the lad’s probably being the son of well-to-do- parents—and then suddenly take no more notice of the matter than if he had never made any such inquiries at all? So I mean to try and draw Master Larry out in that respect.” “ And how shall you do it?” inquired Dick Mel- moth. ++ Don’t you see, I’ve got my excuse all ready cut and dried for Larry,” continued the Hangman: “ and I shall tell him that the reason I want to get these country execution jobs is to have an opportunity of letting the Foundling try his hand at tucking the chaps up—as I shall say that I mean to make a Jack Ketch of him. Sonow don’t you see that if there is any truth at all in the idea of the Foundling belong- ing to a respectable family, Larry will deuced soon be horrified at the idea of the young fellow taking to the gallows-functions: and he'll tell me to wait a while or think better of it, or something of that sort —and if he does this, then we shall really know that he didn’t make all those inquiries about the lad Jack for nothing at all.’ “Well really, Daniel,” said his mistress, coax- ingly, “I always knew you was a wide-awake feilow —but I didn’t give you credit for so much cunning as all this.” “Nor I,” observed Dick Melmoth: “ and I do believe you'll succeed in getting something out of Larry after all.” “ Andif you do find that Jack is the son of re- spectable parents,’ observed Sal, “ you'll be able to make a pretty penny of the business—eh 2?” “=o © Well, we shall see:’—and the Hangman was about to sally forth, when suddenly recollecting something, he felt the pockets of his coat, and then exclaimed, “ By Satan! I was going without my tools—and that’s a thing I don’t often do, seeing that they very frequently come into use at a moment when it’s least expected that they’ll be wanted at all.” Dick Melmoth hastened to open a cupboard, whence he took forth a bunch of skeleton keys, which he wrapped up in paper so as to prevent them from jingling. He next produced from the same place a small “jemmy,” or crowbar, about a foot and a half long, and about the thickness of the thumb —but of the strongest wrought iron, and admirably shaped for burglarious purposes. He then drew forth a small tin box an inch and a half in diameter, and filled with wax, which was used to take the impres- sion of a key should such process be required for ulterior purposes. Lastly, Dick Melmoth produced a couple of knitting-needles, pointed in a particular manner, and used for cutting panes of glass in the same way as a glazier’s diamond. All the articles just detailed did Mr. Daniel Coffin secure about his person; and as he wore a sort of shooting-coat, the crowbar lay easily enough !ength- wise at the bottom of one of his capacious pockets, But it must not be supposed that the Hangman had any special purpose now in view in thus arming him- self with the implements of his secret profession. The fact was that he seldom if ever stirred abroad without those little articles which might at any mo- ment come unexpectedly handy: and as habit is second nature, he positively would not have felt comfortable had he omitted his usual practice in this respect. . Sallying forth aceordingly, with the royal pardon in one of his pockets and the implements of burglary distributed about in allthe others, Mr. Daniel Coffin took his way to Long Acre. On knocking at the door of Larry Sampson’s house, his summons was answered by Dame Margery, the officer’s house- keeper, to whom the person of the Hangman was not known. Not that she was however at ali prepos- sessed in his favour: for, as the reader is already aware, he had a most hang-dog look about him, even when attired in his best apparel. ‘“Ts Mr. Sampson at home?” he asked. “ No, he is not,” responded Dame Margery, eyeing him askance, and keeping the door half closed. “ But I want to see him very particularly,” said the Hangman. “ Indeed, it’s about professional busi- ness,” he added, with a significant look. “Then who are you 2?” inquired the woman. “ Lord bless you!” returned the Hangman: “my functions are up there in the Old Bailey :’—and as he spoke, with a still deeper significancy of look, he jerked his thumb over his jeft shoulder in the direc- tion of the locality which he had named. Now it instantaneously struck Dame Margery that | the fellow must be a turnkey from Newgate; and, with this belief, she had no longer any hesitation in admit- ting him into the house. She accordingly requested him to walk in and waita short time,—observing that it was more than probable that Mr. Sampson would not be long before he returned. Daniel Coffin at once accepted the invitation, and was forthwith con- ducted into the breakfast-parlour, where Dame Mar- gery left him. But after waiting upwards of three quarters of an hour, the Hangman got tired of re- CORNIECLOOO (C S (€@)