The Mysteries of London, Vol. IV — page 165: what you’re looking at

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

gtr cp hide ese Sp al. 158 TUE MYSTERINS OF LONDON, enters eer Te ey - the passage, would speedily and inevitably give them | From an upper window he beheld a good-natured, such information as would open their eyes to the real | red, round, jolly face looking forth, the casement truth of all the recent proceedings. | being open;—and a rapid glance showed the captain Accordingly, the gallant gentleman’s object was to | the staircase that led to the particular room in which get away from Charterhouse Square within the shortest ; the proprietor of that face must be. space of time possible; and the moment he parted from | Le accordingly walked on with the steady pace and Mrs. Rudd he struck into the Charter Iouse se ease of a person who had the assurance of under the impression that there was a thoroughfare in | knowing his—or should we not rather Say aer—way ; this direction. But before he turned under the gloomy archway of that monastic establishment, he looked round and beheld the landlady still standing on the spot where he had lett her—motionless, and apparently petrified with horror and astonishment at the threats which he had held out. Her back was, however, turned towards him,—and he therefore felt more at ease in his mind as he entered the Charter House. “Who do you want, mem?” said the porter, as he emanated from his crib. But Captain O'Blunderbuss affected not to hear the challenge, and passed on—adopting that mincing affectation of gait which we have before noticed, and | vealed a face embellished with a fierce pair of meus- Which‘made him appear such a comical figure. tachios and a very decent pair of whiskers—to say “Well, I’m blowed if I ever see sich a o'oman!”? {| nothing of a certain ferociousness of eXpression and a muttered the porter to himself, as he returned to hig | weather-beaten complexion, which added to the un- lodge. “ Vonderful giantesses ain’t nothink to her, | feminine appearance of the whole countenance. And her petticuts—my eye! ain’t ’em short too? But sho has n’t a wery bad Jeg neither—though her stockins might be a trifle or so cleaner.” The captain continued his way,—still shading: his head with the parasol—still keeping the veil closely folded over his countenance,—but not the less able to reconnoitre the place in which he now found himself for the first time in his life. Ife beheld a wide, open space, laid out in grass plats, bordered and intersected by gravel walks, and sur- rounded by low continuous buildings, of uniform archi- tecture and cloistral appearance. ITere and there were scattered groups of old men— collected in knots of threes and fours, and apparently vasking in the summer sun, which warmed their frames so attenuated and chilled by age. They did not appear huppy—scarcely comfortable or contented s—and could the captain have overheard the remarks which they mumbled and muttered to each other, he would have found that they loathed and detested—hated and abhorred the monastic gloom, the rigid discipline, and the monotonous course of life to which necessity had consigned them. When the gallant officer made his appearance in this enclosure, his strange and Iudicrous figure in- stantly attracted the notice of the various EPOUps alluded to; and the old fellows began to wonder whom the tall, stately-luoking dame was about to honour with a visit. But by this time Captain O’Blunderbuss had arrived aS the unpleasant conviction that there was no thoroughfare either into Goswell Strect or Wilderness Row; and ho once more fuund himself, as he subse- quently observed, “in a divil of a pother.” The reader is, however, well aware that our gallant friend was not precisely tho man to turn back and surrender to his enemies, who, he felt assured, must —and entering the building. he ascended the stairs, until he reached a door on which was a brass-plate bearing the name of Mu. Scanus. Without any ceremony, the captain walked into the room; and tho gentleman with the red face, turn- ing away from the window, began to contemplate his supposed visitress with the most profound amaze- ment, But how much was this surprise enhanced, when the apparent lady threw down the parasol, exchiiming in a voice of singularly masculine power, “Dad luck to ye! ye damned spalpcen of an umbrillal?—and then iminediately afterwards raised a yeil which ye- the Brother of tho Charter Louse, at length recover- the use of his tongue, and with difficulty subduing an inclination to laugh ;—for he was a jolly old bird, as his face denoted, and doubtless fancied that some masquerading amusement was in progress. “What does it mane!” ejaculated the gallant Officer; “why, just this, me frind—that I’m no more % woman than ye are yourself—but it’s Capthain O'Bluntherbuss I am, of Bluntherbuss Park, ould Ireland. The shiriff’s people are afther me~and I ‘scaped “em in this toggery. So now it’s your own precious aid and assistance I want—and, be the pow-r-rst ye'll not repint of any hindness ye may show to a genthleman in timporary difliculties,” Mr. Scales—for such was indeed the name of the red-faced Brother whose hespitality and aid the caup- tain thus sought—now burst out laughing in good earnest; and the gallant officer laughed too—for he dared not show any ill-fecling on tlic score of his new ficnd’s merriment. Besides, that very merriment seemed to augur a willingness to render the assistance demanded; and therefore the two laughed in euncert very heartily and for upwards of a couple of minutes. At last Mr. Seales’s mirth subsided into a low chuchle, until it became altogether extinct so far as its vocal expression was concerned j—and then he enquired in what manner he could render his aid to Captain O'Blunderbuss, The gallant gentleman very frankly revealed to him his real position: namely, that he had been com- pelled to beat a precipitate retreat from his lodgings, where he had left his cap, coat, waistcont, and bovts,— that his breeches were at the tailor’s,—that he had nothing on but his landlady’s garments, barring his own shirt, stockings, and slippers,—that he had not a penny in his pocket, nor indeed any pocket at all as by this time be instituting an active search after him | he then stood equipped—and that he was most in the vicinity—even if they had not become aware! anxious to get into the City, where he could ebtain that he had sought refuge in the Charter IIuuse, funds in a minute. What was to be done? Mr. Scales indulged in another laugh, and then Nothing—save to enlist some kind inmate of the proceeded to comment on the statement which had establishment in his interests;—and on this proceed- | been made to him. ing he at once decided. “Ihave got a couple of sovereigns in my vocket,” “What the deuce does all this mean?” demanded =. ww eter COA GIOOKS (SO)