The Mysteries of the Court of London by Pauline Clarendon — page 23: what you’re looking at

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

20 THE COURT OF LONDON and when you put fifty guineas into her hand, — mind, fifty golden shiners, and no flimsies, — she’ll give you up your pocketbook.”’ ‘“Can’t it be done before to-morrow night? ’’ demanded Page, who was most anxious to call upon his employers in the morning. “No; you must bide my time,” was the rough and de- cisive answer. “ And now let me give you a little bit of advice, which is, not to try any plant upon the young woman, or get constables to lurk about for the purpose of grabbing her; because she’ll have friends watching at no great dis- tance, and as certain as she is to be rescued, so sure are you to have a bullet through your head. Do you understand me? ”’ ‘Tt would be difficult to mistake your meaning,” re- sponded Page. | “So much the better,’’ observed the robber. ‘‘ And now I shall say ‘ good night.’ But I may as well give you a little bit of information, though, before we part,”’ he added, as an idea struck him. ‘“ The fact is, my dear sir,” he con- tinued, assuming a familiar tone, “ I’m a very useful man in my way, and not particular to a point or two. I’m pretty well known to a good many swellish coves at the West End, although they don’t recognize me if we happen to meet in Bond Street. Our intimacy is all private, and only lasts while I’ve any business in hand for them. But what I was going to observe is, that if you ever get into any trouble and want a clever chap to get you out of it, or if you may happen to require anything of a delicate nature to be done neat and clean, you may apply to me. There’s a flash crib in Horsly- down, known as the “ Beggar’s Staff,’’? and a message left at the bar for Joe the Magsman will in due course be de- livered to me. So now good night.” Having thus delivered himself, the huge rufhan turned and proceeded at a rapid rate down the lane, flourishing his club in a manner indicating as significantly as possible that it would be dangerous to follow him. But Mr. Page had not the least idea of making the at- tempt. Indeed, he was so astounded by the strange tirade with which the thief closed the interview that he could not reply, even if he had wished, to the parting salutation. At length, recalling his scattered ideas, he began to deplore ) ECORNIELOOOKS (EO) m