The String of Pearls; or, The Barber of Fleet Street — page 147: what you’re looking at

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

a az "® ta Aca? m tC A ght ni : | THE STRING OF PEARLS. 139 | it; but he had not advanced many steps before he was met and accosted by the beadle, who said, ina tone of great dignity and authority— | ‘This ain’t Sunday, sir ; there ain’t no service here to-day.” “‘I don’t suppose there is,” replied the magistrate; “but I see you have workmen here. What is it you are about 2” “ Well, of all the impudence that ever I came near, this is the worstest—to ask P amaas what he is about ; I beg to say, sir, this is quite private, and there’s the door.” “Yes, [see it, and you may go out at it just as soon as you think proper.” ‘“* Oh, conwulsions! oh, conwutsions! This to a beadle.” “What is all this about?” said a gentlemanly-looking man, stepping forward from a part of the church where several masons were employed in raising some of the huge flag-stones with which it was paved. ‘‘ What disturbance is this?” *“T believe, Mr. Antrobus, you know me,” said the magistrate. “« Oh, Sir Richard, certainly. How do you do?” ** Gracious,” saidthe beadle, “ I’ve put my blessed foot init. Lor’ bless us, sir, how should I know as you was Sir Richard? J begs as you won’t think nothing o’ what I said. If I had aknowed you, in course I shouldn’t have said it, you may depend, Sir Richard—I humbly begs your pardon.’’ © It’s of no consequence—I ought to have announced myself; and you are per- fectly justified in keeping strangers out of the church, my friend.” _ - The magistrate walked up the aisle with Mr. Antrobus, who was one of the churchwardens ; andas hedidso, he said, in a_ low, confidential tone of voice— ‘‘T have heard some strange reports about a terrible stench in the church. What does it mean? I suppose you know all about it, and what it arises from 7” ““Indeed I do not. If you have heard that there is a horrible smell in the church after it has been shut up for some time, and upon the least change in the weather, from dry or wet, or cold or warm, you know as much as we know upon the subject. Jt is a most serious nuisance, and, in fact, my presence here-to day is to try and make some discovery of the cause of the stench; and you see we are going to work our way intosome of the old vaults that have not been opened | for some time, with a hope of finding out the cause of this disagreeable odour.” “Have you any objection to my being a spectator ?”’ “© None in the least.” | ‘‘T thank you. Let us now join the workmen, and I can only now tell you — that I feel the strongest possible curiosity to ascertain what can be the meaning — of all this, and shall watch the proceedings witn the greatest amount of interest.”’ — “Come along then; I can only say, for my part, that, as an individual, ] am |. glad youare here, and as a magistrate, likewise, it gives me great satisfaction to | have you.” CHAPTER XXVIII: TOBIAS’S ESCAPE FROM MR. FOGG’S ESTABLISHMENT. Tin rage into which Mr. Fogg was thrown by the attack which the desperate Tobias had made upon his representative. Mr. Watson, was §s0 great, that, had it not been for the presence of stupid old Dr. Popplejoy in the house, no doubt he would have taken some most exemplary vengeance upon him. As it was, however, Tobias was thrown into his cell witha promise of vengeance as soon as the coast was clear. These were a kind of promises which Mr. Fogg was pretty sure to keep, and when the first impulse of his passion had passed away, poor Tobias, as well indeed he might, gave himself up to despair. ‘“ Now all is over,” he said; ‘J shall be half murdered! Oh, why do they not kill me at once? There would be some mercy in that. Come and murder me at once, you wretches! You villains, murder me at once !”’ adie In his new excitement, he rushed to the door of the cell, and banged at it with comicbooks.com