The Mysteries of London; or, Revelations of the British Metropolis — page 181: what you’re looking at

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

OF LONDON. 179, Keep to the left—keep to the left, my lady! said the gruff voice which had replied from be- hind the shutters to the pass words given by the Countess Cantacouzini ; for d’ye see, if you make one step to the right, I will not answer for your neck, | Lady B-— walked on mechanically, and with © that fictitious calmness which fear, when carried to the extreme, sometimes inspires. She heard the sound of a door, opening about a dozen paces before her, At the same instant a red light showed itself, and a discordant echo composed of a thousand confused noises, struck her ear. The door from which issued the light in question and | these noises, opened above a. small stair of only» three steps. The old woman was standing, waite ~ Ing on the uppermost step. 5G Lady B— walked forward, without speaking : ‘she was dreadfully pale, but her step was firm, - The noise increased as they advanced, and at length to a degree of harshness altogether insup- portable. It was such howling as one may imagine is kept up in the infernal regions; they _ Were separated from the room whence the noise proceeded merely by a door, which was itself in a very dilapidated state. The little lady opened the door Lady B— immediately placed her hands — upon ber ears, but was instantly obliged to re- more one of them, to protect her nose against the horrid smells which nearly suffocated her. ‘Her exes had instinctively closed themselves. \ A little bit of courage! repeated the old woman. The place which Lady B— had just entered was — a large aquare room, in which there was no fur- Eomichooks: com