The Freemason's Daughter: A Novel — page 85: what you’re looking at

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

76 THE FREEMASONS DAUGHTER. of his underlings, a fellow well known in Manchester by the name of Ben, or, as the weavers called him, the Devil’s Hack, a fellow who frequented all places of public meeting, knew the locale of every cellar and rendezvous of crime, and could have recognized any one on whom he had once set his mark by his shadow. Although thus cognizant both of the morale and phy- sigue of the usual customers of the police, he never - acted as an officer himself. The man was a cur, with just sufficient courage to denounce crime, but not enough to arrest it. | ““ Well, Ben,” said his superior, as he entered the room, “‘ I have employment for you.” | “Thank you, sir.” * You know Tim’s Dick!” “Yes.” ‘“‘ ] want to get hold of him, and you, who know the .outgoings and backslidings of every rascal in Man- chester, must furnish me with some clue.” “TI know nothing about him,” replied the fellow, with a blank look. ‘* The fool is honest.” «* Ay,” said Marjoram, “ honest as the world goes— honest in the ordinary sense of the word; but you understand me—when the substance escapes our grasp we must lay hands upon the shadow. You who are never at fault, surely you can rake up something to make a handle of? I don’t want to hurt the fellow—I only want an excuse for a summons and a search-warrant.” ‘“Can’t do it. That fellow,” said Ben, “has no ecomnuicloooks (SO