The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 126: what you’re looking at

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mee ae ee oe 120 night accordin’ to appintment, if if hadn’t been for the message you, Jack, sent to the contrairy by Tim Scott when you happened to meet him.” “Don’t you remember,” said Mrs. Smedley, “ it was agreed upon we should get hold of that letter which Mr. Smith was going to send off * “ Aye, to be sure,” remarked the Burker: “and so I suppose he didn’t send no letter at all?” “ Not yesterday,” replied Mrs. Smedley: “ he said he should put it off till to-day.” “And he was in a worse tremble than ever when he said so,” added the old mother. “Quite narvous—eh ?” said the Burker; and then he took a long draucht of spirits-and-water. “ There’s nothing like this for the narves; and I do raly think that a genelman could go as a genel- man ought to Tuck up Fair, and cut his last fling in an exceedin’ dashin’ style, if he was only well primed with lush. But come—what about this here letter P” “It’s nothing particular after all,” said Jack Smedley. “ But here it is No, you have got it, Bab ; and you can let Barney read it for him- self.” “ Tf the writing’s at all queer,” responded the Burker, ‘ it’s of no more use to ask me to read it, than to tell a pig to dance a hornpipe on stilts. My larning might all be put into a thimble, and then leave room for the young lady which is ac- customed to use it to put her forefinger in.” “Well, the writing isn’t so trembling and shaky as one might expect to find it,” said Bab Smedley ; ‘and so you may read it for yourself.” With these words, she drew forth the inter- cepted letter, which she handed to Barney the Burker, who, having imbibed another draught from his tumbler, proceeded to peruse it in a cool and deliberate manner. “‘No—there’s nuffin here that’s of any conse- quence to us,” he observed, when he reached the end; “ and so I suppose I may just as well light a pipe with it.” “No such thing,” exclaimed Bab, snatching the letter out of the fellow’s hand. “I mean to keep it—I have a fancy for doing so. Who knows but what some day or another it may be of use ?” “Ah, well—do just as you like,” said the Burker : “but of course you don’t mean to seal up the letter again and deliver it to-morrow morn- ing at the place it’s directed to ?” “Not quite such a fool!” Smedley. “To be sure not!”’ observed Barnes: “for him or her who took it to the house might be knowed again on any future occasion by the servant, or by them to which it is addressed; and then if any stir was made about the disappearance of a par- tickler individual though by the bye, he doesn’t give no name and no address in that there letter-———” “But he says enough,” cried Jack Smedley, “to prove that he has been a jolly rogue in his way.” “How would it be,” asked Mrs. Webber, “to make free with his purse before his very face— take it in a bold manner, I mean, and tell him to do his worst, for that we have found out all about him 7 “No,” interrupted Bab Smedley; “that will 2 rejoined Mrs. 19? not do. How do we know that he has really done \ IN eee eee te er ~~ THE MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. sufficient to make him so terribly afraid of the law as we may think that he has? It is little better than surmise on our part: for that letter doesn’t prove much, and is so vague.” “No, no, ma’am,” said the Burker, addressing himself to Mrs. Webber; “it would never do to go on a mere wentur’. Whatsumever this Smith may have done, the loss of his purse might make him uproarious, raise the neighbourhood, and send us all to limbo. The work must be done in quite another way.” “To be sure,’ said Bab Smedley, after a little reflection: “Barney is right. Smith may have been, and no doubt is, a great rogue d “And so let him be punished for his vicked- ness!’ interjected the Burker: then fixing his horrible eyes upon Bab Smedley, whom he evidently regarded as the supreme authority in that house, he said, “ Well, I s’pose your mind’s made up, and it’s for to-night ?” “Tt must be for to-night if it is to be at all,” responded Bab: “for he said he was going away to-morrow.” ‘“*And I am sure he will too, if he is alive to do it,’ said Mrs. Webber: “for he was packing up his few things in his carpet-bag when I went to his room with the supper-tray just now.” ** Now then, you two fellers,” said the Burker, as he filled himself another glass and thus ad- dressed the Scotts, ‘you've already got to thank me for having done a blessed sight more to keep you on with your edication than ever your own parents would have done if they was alive to take care of yer. And so as you've got on so well in what one may call the rudiments of your larnin’, I’m going to put you up into a higher class to- night and teach you another lesson. That was the reason I told you to come here on this partiklar occasion; and p’raps it is as well that there should be as much help as possible.” The two lads said not a word; but they seemed to have a perfect idea that some darker and deeper wickedness than any they had been yet acquainted with, was about to be perpetrated. Bill Scott’s large goggle eyes stared in a sort of glassy admira- tion upon the Burker, whom he evidently regarded as a very fine fellow; while his brother Tim leered with a horrible knowingness upon the same indi- vidual,—thus not merely indicating that he com- prehended the nature of the deed that was to be done, but that he was ali too ready to bear a part in it. The Burker and Bab Smedley conversed together for some minutes in whispers: then whispered re- marks were also interchanged betwixt them, the woman’s husband and her mother; and in a short time the plan of proceeding was duly settled. Soon afterwards—it being now about half-past ten o’clock—Mrs. Webber lighted a chamber-candle, and quilted the scullery. In a few minutes she returned: and having carefully closed the door, she observed, “I have been up to ask him if he wants anything more: he says no, for that he is going to bed.” “And you didn’t tell him,” asked the Burker, with a horrible grin, “that you had some friends here whieh would presently bring him up his gruel P” “He told me to call him early,” continued the old woman, not heeding the interjected remark which CORnNIECLOOKS (C(O a me ll OE A ALO AL ALE Gx N.S