Penny Blood Serial Fiction — page 370: what you’re looking at

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

CARROTTY POLL’S RETURN 300 where — and it is very likely you won’t see him again till to-morrow night. We then parted, and I found the Kinchin- Grand waiting for me at Execution Dock.”’ “ Well, and why the devil should you pretend to be dis- gusted with the whole affair? ’? demanded the Big Beggar- man. ‘‘In my opinion, it’s gone off uncommon well, — especially since our friend Joe isn’t put out about it, and - will undertake to keep Ramsey quiet.”’ “TI am disgusted,” said Carrotty Poll, with -vixenish acerbity, ‘‘ because you have made a mull of the thing. You never ought to have played your tricks on Meagles and Lady Lade. One is a devilish good fellow, and the other is a nice woman; and they might have been good friends to us.’’ ‘Why didn’t you tell me all this before? ’’ growled the Beggarman. ‘‘ Because when you had locked ’em up, it was too late. However,” she added, in a milder tone, — for she saw that her father was in no humour to be upbraided, — “‘ what’s done can’t be helped; but I am preciously annoyed at having lost so many hours in such a stupid affair as this expedition to the Mariners’ Arms, tired as I was already, and then that cursed old nurse annoyed me more than enough.” “Well, go and sleep off your ill-humour, Poll,’ said her father. “‘ I sha’n’t be sorry to get to bed myself.” The parent and daughter then retired to their chambers, and during the next three hours a profound silence reigned throughout the Beggar’s Staff, until the slipshod waiter rose at about nine to open the premises again, for, as it was a Sunday morning, he had snoozed a little later than usual. GOMmicdooks (©)