The Mysteries of London; or, Lights and Shadows of London Life — page 28: what you’re looking at

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

great portion of which had Jkewise talen down in flaky fragments, and left the brickwork, bare and battered, open to the view. When, to the appearance presented by these frightful dens, the squalid filth round the doorways, and the noisome stenches that oozed forth from the courts around, are added to the scene, some faint idea may be gained of that sicken- ing, repulsive region which was to be met with at this period behind that remarkable district still known by the appellation of “Palmer's Village,” in West- Notwithstanding Thornton’s earnest endeavours to extricate himself from this uninviting labyrinth of close and confined streets, his efforts proved fruitless, and he felt himself at last constrained to apply-for assistance te a costermonger, who was stowing away for the night the remains of his unsold fruit into a damp and dreary cellar, which was also to serve for the vendor’s sleeping apartment. Unconscious as to the extent of his mistaken progress, he had asked him for the nearest way to Oxford Street, in the belief that he had not gone far from the road which would bring him into that vicinity. As he put the question, a short-legged, long-bodied fellow, with a huge sandy head, shuffled slowly past, and, pausing by the coster- monger’s basket, as if accidentally, ovgrheard the inquiry. “TI say, Jim,” cried the costermonger fo this indi- vidual, instead of giving any answer himself, “ here’s a cove wants to know the way to Oxford Street; d’ye think yer can d’rect him?” “If the gen’l’man doesn’t mind standing a drop of summut for the trouble, I dessay as how I can,” was the response. “TI am quite willing, my good fellow, to make you some amends for your loss of time,’’ returned Thorn- tov, understanding the condition more by the gesture of the speaker than his words. “You will have the goodness, then, jist to follow me,” said his guide, bestowing a knowing wink on his comrade; “ it’s a nasty, ugly way to get there, sure enough, but perhaps yer honor won’t mind that, as yer took so much trouble to get down here away from it ?” “IT am a stranger in Londen, and have mistaken my road home,’’ answered Thornton innocently, as he followed the footsteps of his cicerone. “The way in which these streets run from one into the other has quite bewildered me, and I am fully prepared to have some difficulty in getting out again.” “Ah! we are always werry partickler vith stran- gers,” pursued his loquacious guide; “ we takes such "special care of them hereabouts, that after we’ve seen them home of a night, they makes a reglar pint of callin’ upon us next mornin’ to inkwire arter our health, and ask us to come and spend a day with them in return.” “ Indeed !” exclaimed Thornton, who unsuspiciously ‘applauded the courtesy that had dictated such a pro- “ Oh, Lor’ bless you, that’s nuffin,” resumed the man, taking advantage of the reception which his garrulity met with; “I hed last week the ’onor of escorting home the Markwis of Westminster, who, after his parlymentary dooties were over, vanted to see how his tenants got on down here, and the mark- wis was so werry much obleeged to me that he vouldn’t let me go avay until I bad a quartern of rum vith him at the Prince of Orange,” “TI must really doubt that proof of the marquis’s condescension,” replied Thornton, whose credulity was not proof against the utterance of so bold an asser- - ——eeeeee — ee ee ee eee - + cen — ee tion, “ 100 Must Have been imposed Upon Dy Some- body who assumed his name.” “ Vell, here’s the werry Prince of Orange I spoke about, and yer can ask them at the bar if it worn’t a fact,” retorted the communicative guide; “ they sells unkimmon good spiritshus lickers here to be sure.” Finding the hint was too palpable to be disregarded, Thornton gave his companion an opportunity of putting it to the test, feeling that he was entirely de- pendent upon him, but inwardly resolving that, di- rectly he encountered a policeman, he would dispense with his further services, Accordingly they entered a low public house, which had, apparently, no necessity for the dazzling blaze of light that formed the prominent beacon of the gin-palaces seen in similarly populous neighbour- hoods; for, beyond the rays diffused from a solitary gas-light, there was no visible indication of the house remaining open as a place of refreshment, Around the bar were groups of ill-looking men and women, like those he had previously encountered, and the ominous glances they bestowed upon the new comers were sufficient to convince Thornton that he had need of all his firmness to sustain him in the pre- dicament in which ke found himself so inad , plunged. The guide, whe seemed to be familiar to two or three of the party under the soubriquet of “ Jim Gubbins,” manifested no scruples at appearing in such society ; and calling for a quartern of rum, for which he left Thornton to pay, he had the satisfaction of finding that the coim handed over for that purpose was taken frem the-depths-of a moderately well-filled purse, The spirit had been culy divided into two glass measures, when Thornton having momentarily turned aside to look at the motley groups around him, the other dexterously threw into one of these glasses the contents of a curiously enfolded paper. “Come, sir, yer don’t drink,” cried Gubbins, tossing off his own allowance as if it had been so much water, to show, perhaps, the high estimation in which he held the liquor; “it will look proud of yer if yer don’t go shares with us, and the landlord vill take offence { at yer refusal, when the markwis has done him the honour ef paying a personal wisit.” Thus admonished, and afraid of the sarcastic sneers which his reluctance would provoke from the rest of the company, Thornton summoned his fortitude to the task, and drank the contents of the glass without hesi- tation; but, utterly unused to the effects of ardent spirits, he immediately repented of his incautious haste, and bitterly regretted that he had suffered him- self to be thus persuaded. For a sense of complete helplessness instantly over- came him. His brain was seized with a burning diz- ziness, and he would have sank prostrate on the floor had it not been for the prompt and vigorous support he received from his companion, - “Come, yer will feel all the better when yer gets out into the open air,” observed his cicerone; “it és rayther strong, I must confess; butit is like mother’s milk to me, who am more seasoned to it than you are I suspect,” Thus speaking, he led Thornton out into the dark and deserted street; and now the full effects of the drugged potation he had imbibed became manifest, His ideas became confused and indistinct; he lost all conception of the position in which he was placed, and the neighbourhood through which he was being hurried. His vision failed to disti the objects that he passed; and his head, reeling with the fumes Gomicbdooks.co ee ——