The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 212: what you’re looking at

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

AN EXPLOSION 185 was very fond of introducing his remarks in those terms, ““ to make one ready to knock these fellows’ heads to- gvether — : ‘“ Hush! we can have no knocking of heads here,’’ cried the magistrate. ‘‘ Now, madam,” he continued, turning toward Mrs. Piggleberry, “‘ tell me about that ten-pound note.” ‘T will, sir, and I won’t deceive you,” said the good woman, with a curtsy. ‘‘ Please your worship, I’m a re- spectable widder which rents a house in Jermyn Street, and pays rent and taxes as reglar as quarter-days and collectors comes around. I gets my living by lodgings, — leastways, by taking in gentlemen and doing for them, — which is the way I come to have them sneaking waggabones a-living in my house and okkipying rooms that I might have let to their betters. But I’ve found ’em out now, the canting hum- bugs! ”’ | “The poor benighted creature is in wrath, > moaned Mr. Sneaksby. ‘“* And, verily, she revileth us,’ groaned Mr. Paxwax. “We are in the hands of the ungodly, brother,” sighed his Reverence. | ‘“‘ Yea, in the power of the men of Belial,’ gasped Ichabod. “Forty stripes save one shalt thou have on thine hide, friend Paxwax,”’ whispered the former. “ And a night and a day shalt thou sit in the stocks, friend Sneaksby,’’ murmured the latter. ‘Come, cease that talking,” cried the magistrate. ‘‘ And now about this ten-pound note? ”’ . ‘“‘ Please your washup,”’ resumed Mrs. Piggleberry, with another curtsy, “‘ I’ll tell the truth. It was a new note, — brand-new, asone maysay, —not a bit soiled in any oneplace, and crisplike to the touch. Well, your washup, I gives it to my niece there, and, ‘ Ann,’ I says, says I, ‘ you’ll just step around to the tradesmen and pay the veek’s bills,’ says I. ‘ Yes, aunt,’ she says, says she, ‘I vill.’ ‘ Do, Ann,’ says I; _ and I gives her the ten-pound note. Away she trots, and I goes down into the kitchen to cook some liver and bacon for I) my dinner, for I’m exceedin’ fond of liver and bacon, your — washup, Betis its being cheap — ” ‘ The fleshpots of Egypt,” groaned Mr. Sneaksby, smack- ing his lips. COnNICLOOKS (S©)