Penny Blood Serial Fiction — page 310: what you’re looking at

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

THE SNARE 293 Lord Eagledean, perceiving that the landlord lingered in the room, and not choosing to be uncivil to him. “Well, sir, me and my missus is plain, simple bodies, — say-nothing-to-nobody kind of folks, and as long as we can earn our honest crustesses for tea, dinner, and breakfust- esses, we don’t grumble. We pays the queen’s taxes as regular as clockwork, but we don’t pay no water-rates, ’cos why there’s no water laid on the place. The canal, you see, sir, IS SO precious handy.” ‘Very handy, indeed,” said the marquis, drily; then, as a sudden reminiscence flashed to his mind, sending a cold shudder through his entire form at the same time, he observed, “By the bye, that dreadful murder which was committed close by here, in the barge, I mean, has any clue been ever discovered to the perpetrator of the deed? ”’ ‘“ Never, sir, that I’ve heerd of,” replied Solomon Patch, without the slightest change of countenance, although he knew full well that the murderer was beneath his roof at that very moment, and what was more, too, that he was deliberately and coolly planning another double murder for the hour that was passing. At this moment the door opened, and Chiffin the Cannibal | made his appearance. He took off his battered old white hat surrounded with the rusty black crape, and made what he intended to be a respectful-looking bow to the two visitors. Solomon Patch glided back into the bar, and Chiffin, closing the door, took a seat opposite to the marquis and Deveril. “So you got my note, Mr. Gunthorpe?”’ he said, with a significant nod, as much as to imply that it was very im- portant business to which it related. “ That is the reason we are here this night, and at this hour,’ replied the marquis. ‘‘ I suppose you have something to communicate concerning Lady — ”’ “ Hush, sir, hush!” said Chiffin, turning around and looking toward the door. “ That old Patch and his wife,”’ he continued, in a subdued voice, ‘‘ have got ears as sharp as their eyes, and I do believe they can see through a brick wall. I wouldn’t for the world have them know what you’ve come here about; they would fasten themselves upon me _ till they got out of me every farthing of the couple of hun- dred guineas you’re going to give me.” CONNIE DOOKS (SO)