The String of Pearls; or, The Barber of Fleet Street — page 55: what you’re looking at

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

“ Now you may go;” said Ben. se Mr. Lupin scrambled to his feet; but Ben followed him into the passage, and | did not yet let him go, until he had accelerated his movements by two hearty kicks, || And then the victorious beef-eater returned to the parlour, _ “Why, Ben,” said Mr. Oakley, “you are quite a poet.” “T believe you, Oakley, my boy,” said Ben, “and now let us be off, and have | a pint round the corner.” | “What!” exclaimed Mrs. Oakley, “ and leave me here, you wretches ?”’ “Yes,” said Ben, “ unless you promises never to be a female variety of a use- | ful animal again, and begs pardon of Mr. Oakley, for giving him all this trouble; | as for me, Pil let you off cheap, you shall only give me a kiss, and say you loves @, “If I do, may I be——” “Damned, you mean.” | ‘No, I don’t; choked I was going to say.” “Then you may be choked, for you have nothing to do but to let your legs go — under you, and you will be hung as comfortable as possible—come along, | a ey.” ap : : 3 | “Mr. Oakley—stop, stop—don’t leave me here. I am sorry.” “That's enough,” said Mr. Oakley; “‘and now, my dear, bear in mind one thing from me—I intend from this time forward to be master in my own house. If you and I are to live together, we must do so on very different \terms to what we have been living, and if you won’t make yourself agreeable, Lawyer Hutchins || tells me that L can turn you out and give you a maintenance ; and, in that case, V’ll have my sister Rachel home to mind house for me; so now you know my || determination, and what you have to expect. If you wish to begin, well, do so at || once, by getting something nice and tasty for Ben’s supper.” Mrs. Oakley made the required promise, and being released, she sct about pre- parations for the supper in real earnest, but whether she was really subdued or not we shall, in due time, see. | CHAPTER X. THE COLONEL AND HIS FRIEND. CoLONEL JEFFERY Was not at all satisfied with the state of affairs, as regarded | the disappointment of Mr. Thornhill, for whom he entertained a sincere regard, | both on account of the private estimation in whieh he held him, and on account of |i actual services rendered to Thornhill by him. Not to detain Johanna Uakley in the ‘emple-gardens, he had stopped his narrative, completely at the point when what concerned her had ceased, and had said nothing of much danger which the || ship “‘ Neptune” and its crew and passengers had gone through, after Mr. Thorn- | hill had been taken on board with his dog. ‘The fact is, the storm which he had mentioned was only the first of a series of gales of wind that buffeted the ship about for some weeks, doing it much damage, and enforcing almost the necessity of putting in somewhere for repairs. But a glance at the map will be sufficient to show. that, situated as the ‘‘ Neptune” was, the nearest port at which they could at all expect assistance, was the British Colony, at the Cape of Good || Hope; but such was the contrary nature of the winds and waves, that just upon the evening of a tempestuous day, they found them- || selves bearing down close in shore, on the eastern coast of Madagascar. | ‘There was much apprehension that the vessel would strike on a rocky shore; but || the water was deep, and the vessel rode well; there was a squall, and they let go || both ‘anchors to secure the vessel, as they were so close in shore, lest they should ’ be driven in aud stranded, It was fortunate they had so secured themselves, for comicbooks.com