The String of Pearls; or, The Barber of Fleet Street — page 126: what you’re looking at

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

THE STRING OF PEARLS. | ly charge for board and care, and [ll give you a ten-poun Four woulle, iFyon'll both and assist me in securing her, and bringing her down. | fs 4 9 1 e trouble. ihe gat al said I, ‘that will do, but you must double the note and make it twenty, if you please; it will cost something to come and do tie thing || Ye ‘TI see—-very well—we won't disagree about a ten-pound note ; but you'll |! know how to dispose of her if she comes here.’ ij} “Oh, yes—very healthy place.’ ; AL oS Bub I don’t ice that health is a very great blessing to any one under | such circumstances; indeed, who could regret an early grave to one so severely | | afflicted ?? : ; h ‘| Nobody ought,’ said I; ‘if they knew what mad people went through, they 1 would not, I’m sure.’ | |} “* That is very true again, but the fact is, they don’t, and they only look at | || one side of the picture ; for my own part, I think that it ought to be so ordained me || that when people are so afllicted, nature ought to sink under the affliction, | || and so msensibly to revert toe the former state of nonentity, || ““* Well,’ said I, ‘that may be as you please, I don’t understand all that ; || but T tell you what, I hope if she were to die much sooner than you expect, you (| would not think it too much trouble to afford me some compensation for my 1 loss? % ‘+ “*QOh dear no! and to show you that I shall entertain no such illiberal feeling, || 1 will give you two hundred pounds, when the certificate of her burial can be pro- | ‘| duced. You understand me ?? poe Ke & 2 eerily, <an We | |; , “‘Her death will be of little value to me, without the legal proof,’ said the | | stranger; ‘so she must die.at her own pleasure, or live while she can.’ “ * Certainly,’ said I. , : | “*But what terrifies me,? continued the stranger, ‘most is, her terror- | || stricken countenance, always staring us in our faces; and it arose from her being ) || terrified ; indeed I think if she were thoroughly frightened, she would fall dead. | i I sure, if any wickedly-disposed person were to do so, death would no doubt | | result,’ : | |} “Ah?” said I, Sit would be a bad job; now tell me where I am to see you, and || how about the particulars.’ i “ ‘Oh, I will tell you; now, can you be at the corner of Grosvenor-street, near || Park-lane ?” e “* Yes,’ [ replied, ‘I will? | | _ ‘With a coach too. I wish you to have a coach, and one that you can |, |) Cepend upon, because. there may be a little noise. I will try to avoid it, if | { possible, but we cannot always do what we desire; but you must have good || 1} horses. | j} _ “‘ Now, I tell you what is my plan; that is, if you don’t mind the damages, if i }} any happen.’ r [| “* What are they | ie yee :~-suppose a horse falis, and is hurt, or an upsete=would you stand the || racket P’ } “*T would, of course. €¢ ¢° ithen listen to me; I have had more of these affairs than you have, no doubt. | Well, then, I have had experience, which you have not. Now, I'll get a trotting- || horse, and a covered cart or chaise—-one that will eo alone well at ten miles an | hour, aad no mistake about it.’ | “* But will it hold enough ?? | | . “Yes, four or five or six, and, upon a push, I have known eight to cram || /j 1 :t; but then you know we were not particular how we were placed; but || }} still i¢ will hold as many as a hackney coach, only not so conveniently ; but then we have nobody in the affair to drive us, and there can’t-be too few.’ —_— rr neste cere a a a a ee —_—— ate oe ee et = = ten oo ae he: os comicbooks.com