The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 334: what you’re looking at

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ee a a ee ee ee ee ee “Only that Sir Douglas, on ascertaining who she was, restored her to her friends;’ —and in giving this answer Nell Gibson was prompted by the same feeling which had inspiréd her conduct throughout towards the Baronet—namely, to do nothing that should in any way injure or annoy him, but on the contrary anything she could to serve him. “ Well, this isperwoking,” exclaimed Bencull,— to lose that young gal after all the trouble I had in getting possession of her! But there’s one more question—and that is, whether there’s any chance of a safe crack in the Baronet’s house ?” “Eh! that’s the question,” said the Hangman, ‘instinctively tapping his capacious pocket to show that he had his burglarious apparatus concealed about his person. | J examined the hall well, as I went in and came out,” said Nell Gibson; “ but I don’t think that an entry can be made in that quarter. In fact, I scarce think from what I saw that it would be worth while to attempt it at all.” “Now mind you, I think just the contrary,” cried the Hangman, with an oath: for he had been watching Nell Gibson’s countenance from under his overhanging brows, and he felt con- _vineed in his own mind that she was doing all she ' could to shield the Baronet. “YT say let us try, the crack,” exclaimed the Buttoner, sharing the Hangman’s suspicions. “And I say,” added Bencull, “that if i do it ' alone, if shall be done. There’s a coach-house and stable adjoining the Baronet’s mansion: and | we can easy get through that way to the back | of the premises. Then, when once at the back of a house, I should like to see the doors or windows that would keep me out.” “Well then, it’s agreed,” said the Hangman. “Let me see,” he continued, looking at a great silver watch which he pulled from his fob: ‘‘it’s now half-past ten o’clovk. We'will wait here till twelve—and that shall be the hour. The lush is good at this ken, and the Jandlord knows me.” “ Will you stay here, then, Nell?” inquired the Buttoner; “or go home to Bermondsey and get to bed comfortable, while I stay to do the trick ?” * Just as you like,” answered Nell, with apparent indifference: though in her heart she was most anxious to get away at once. “ Well then,” said the Buttoner, also affecting the utmost carelessness in the matter, “I should think you had better get home as quick as you can.” “So be it,’ said Nell Gibson, rising from her seat; then, with a laugh, she observed to her para- mour the Gttoner, “ Mind in dividing that swag you remember my regulars :’—and she pointed to the money on the tame. “All right, Nell,” said the Buttoner: and the young woman then took her departure. “ What did you let her go for?” demanded the Hangman, savagely, the moment the door closed be- hind her. ‘ Curse me if I don’t think she’s been playing us false again with this Baronet bs “That’s just my opinion,” interrupted the Bnt- toner, starting from his seat: “ and it’s cos why I think so that I persuaded her to be off so that I may have I shall be back at an opportunity of watching her. midnight at all events, if not sooner.” Having thus spoken, he turned up the collar of —— —— -_—— Sand — THE MYSTERIES OF THER COURT. —— ~— oe eee Cie i —_—— —— his coat, slouched his hat over his countenance, and then hastened from the boozing-ken. On emerging into the street, he caught a glimpse of Nell Gibson by the light of a lamp, just as she was turning round the corner: and having once got upon the right ' : track, he had no aifficulty in keeping herin view,— | still leaving such a distance between them as to pre= » vent her from perceiving that she was thus dogged. | At first, however, she kept halting, turning round, looking and listening, every twoor three minutes: but at length, being perfectly satisfied that there was no watch set upon her, she increased her pace, and made straight for the Almonry in Westminster, which was about a mile from the boozing-ken she had so recently left. The Almonry is one of those dreadful neighbour hoods where pauperism is most intense, squalor most hideous, demoralization most depraved. It consists chiefly of brothels and such like dens of infamy, and forms part of the domain belonging as an endowment to Westminster Abbey! But inasmuch as Joath- some hot-beds of vice and moral lJazar-houses of that kind usually produce a good xent, the Dean and Chapter could not of course think of purging a © neighbourhood which yielded them such large re- venues. In the midst of that morass so densely peopled with human reptiles, and exhaling so pestilential an atmosphere, was situated a low boozing-ken known as Meg Blowen’s crib. It differed from Bencull’s establishment in Jacob’s Island, inasmuch as it had not the appearance of a private dwelling, but was open like any other public-house, and had a large room on the ground-floor always filled at night with the vilest of the vile and the lowest of the low. 'l'o this place did Nell Gibson wend her way,—the Buttoner still following at a distance. Entering the estab'ishment, she tarried for a few minutes in the public room to exchange some friendly observa- tions with her acquaintances there: and having thus dispensed her courtesies to the leading mem- bers of the gang, she passed into Meg Blowen’s— that is to say, the landlady’s—private room behind the bar. If we follow her thither and peep in at her proceedings, we shall observe that she re- quested to be furnished with pen, ink, and paper; and having written a letter, she summoned into her presence a Jad whom she believed to be the most trustworthy amongst the juvenile portion of reprobates there assembled. Making him secure about his person the letter which she had written, she bade him hasten and deliver it at an address which she named, and to depart from the house the moment he placed the letter in the hands of the servant answering the door. Having thus explicitly given her instructions, she placed five shillings in the lad’s hands: and he set forth with great glee to execute his commission. But to return to the Buttoner, we must observe that on seeing Nell Gibson enter Meg Blowen’s he was more than ever convinced she had some artifice in view: and looking through the win- dow, he first saw her converse with her ac- quaintances in the public room, and then pass into the private parlour behind the bar. He next saw Meg Blowen reach down the pen and ink from a shelf, take a sheet of paper out of a drawer, and then carry these writing materials into the parlour. It would have struck any individual even — - - — --—— ~——= — —EE TN mw ee a —_—_— ——_ ‘ ——— mn S CORNICLOO® (€()