The Mysteries of London; or, Revelations of the British Metropolis — page 145: what you’re looking at

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

_— OF. LONDON. 143 placed in his button hole a large bow of yellow ribbon, which had not the slightest resemblance to any order known in Europe. | Had he been made game of? Snail began to fear it. He bitterly regretted the wooden benches of the Pipe and Pot, the bearded chin of his sweet Madge, and even the stupid look of Mike, ‘his brother-in-law. He was getting weary of his situation—he could not even mew to wile away the time: feeling quite out of heart he approach- ed the counter, and asked for a glass of ale: an ice cream was handed to him. Snail had never either saten or drunk an ice; we are of opinion that he would have expressed his discontent at this substitution, in terms that would have been eminently disagreeable to the nymph of the counter, if a gentleman had not at this moment stepped up, and made a diversion in her favour. The gentleman placed his finger upon the famous bow of yellow ribbon, which or- namented Snail’s button hole,and whispering to him, said, Follow me. They left the saloon, just as the crowd was is- suing in all dirsctions from the boxes, after the falling of the curtain. They succeeded, with some trouble, in making their passage through the lobby, and stopped a few paces irom the box in which were the countess, and the Princess da Longueville. The gentleman struck three double knocks upon the door of the next box. The door was opened, and Snail, who was suddenly pushed into it by the shoulders, found himself all at once in total darkness. The place in which he was, was Eomichbooks:com