The Mysteries of the Court of London Vol. 7 — page 232: what you’re looking at

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

ee ean trates lene tener neuer eo eeeeeeegeeesterenee THE MYSTERIES OF THR COURT. this fellow is far more ih my power than he fan- cies himeelf,” Madame Angelique quitted the chamber; ahd the merchant, without releasing the Burker from his prostrate position, hattened to say, “[ have Already told you on what conditions [ am inclined to deal mercifully with you. Speak!—give mie the explanation I have sought.” . “TY will, sit,—trusting to your goodness,” re- sponded the faled Lascar. “ You see, the fact ia, sir—and there’s no uéd in denying it—I thought as how the night you had that grand party would be a favourable opé for me to doa little business in my way; and so I went to have a look about tho premises: for it sometimes happen), you know, that genelmah’s servants theirsvives has no objection to what we call a put-up effhir-——that ineane an &franged add planned robbery. Being rayther skillod in réudibg people's countenances, I could pretty eaay tell which servants you may talk to in a patticular way, dad which you may not=———"" “ Well, well,” interrupted Sir Frederick Latham, “you wete lutking about my House the night of the party. What next P” T took the liberty of peeping in at 4 window,” replied the Burker; “and what the deuce should I see, but a genelman helping hisself to a lot of notes and gold out of a kesh-box; and thero was a dufe a-standisg open. Ob, ho! thinks I to myself-——" “Noevor mind what you thought,” interrupted the City merchant. ‘“ Who was that gentleman P” “Ah! sir, I knowed Lim protty well,” replied the Burker; “for the fact is, l’d met him beforo, Ilo was your brother-in-law, as I’ve heerd tell— Lord Rushbrook.”’ “And he omptied the cash-box?”’ demanded Bir Frederick. “That, by jingo, he did—arnd in no time too |” rejoined the Burker. “Then he put the kesh-box back wo the safe; and just at thet moment I do beliove he twigged mea looking at him through the winder: for ha gived such astart and turned as pale ab death—but I bolted away like a shot. OF course I suspected in a moment he was doing summut he didn’t ought to do; and so when 1 arterwards found mysolf in bis power, I thought l'd just see what a httlo bint on the subject would produce; and bleas you, sir, he let go his bold on me just for all thé world aé if he was dropping a hot tater.” * And how one word more,” ‘said the City mer- chant; “and you need not be afraid tv answer mo —for I huve reason to know that you have just been ‘telling me the truth, and I qill keep iny bar- gain with you. You had met Lord Rushbrdok on a former cecasion? Did you rob him then ?7—and if so, of how much? Nuw remember! if you tell me the truth, I am not goltip to take any step * to make you disgotge your plibder: but I wilt at suffér you to depart without any farther mulesta- tion.” ® ‘‘ Woll, dir, the fact is I did rob him,” answered ths Burker; “but i¢ was a precious bad job f mé—fok like a dtiesed fool as { atm, I lost all the money Afterwards, thd de¢ilish hear got tyself took Thto the bargain.” “How much did you rob him of & inquired Bir Frederich. £19 ae “Well, it was exactly two thousand pounds, all in bank-notes,” answered the Burker. “As you may worry well suppose, I was astounded when I come to diskiver the: diiount; and as somo of the notes was werry high opes—fifties and hundreds, I mnesn—I thought they wae of no more use to me than the elephant was to the old genelman when he won itin a rafflg. Howsowmever, [ rebullected an old Jew that did 4 little Businges in that way— I niean who changed bank-notes without asking no questions; so off I pusted tobim. But what does the old scainp do but he gives tne a lot of little notes, all five poundétd—telling me he was only charging a hundréd pounds for the job, and that I might think myself devilish lucky in having fallen into stich hands, And éo at firet I did: but then, behold you, sit! when I afterwards tried to change one of the five ptin’ notes, the shopkeeper daid as how it was a forgery and roared out for the pulive. If { badn’t given him a tap over thé head and knocked him down senseless beitind his own fountor, it would have ticen all up with me. owsornever, I got clear off: but every one of the notes the rascally old Jew had given me, was bad ‘uns. I went to his quarters in the middle of the night with the intentign of telling him a bit of my mind—and perbeps of giving him a tap too: but the waggabone had bolted; and so you seo as how, sit, 1 was most cruelly robbed by that pre- civus old scoundrel.” Sir Frederick had listened with much imps- tience to this long tale; but he thought he had better hear if to the end; and now that it was finished he had no more qdcstions to ask. Keep. ing possession of the Burker's club, Sir Froderiok rose from off his prostrate form; and stepping back in a manner which showed that he was pre- pared fur any treacherous attack on tho mis- creant’s part, be said, “ You may now steal forth from the louse. Progsed—I will follow! And beware how you are found again lurking: in this neighbourhood, or in that of my own abode—for the police will have orders tu take you’ into cus- tity,” “Don’t you be afeard, sir,” answered the Bur- ker; “I’ve had quite enow of these here parts of the country for the present.” The ruf¥an stulo down the stairs, —Sie Frederick Latham followtng with the club fo bia hand, uatil he saw him safe out of the front door, Madame Angeliquo,had in the meanwhile been talking to her pretty maid-servant in the kitchen,—the girl having retutned from the neighbouring dsh- ttionger’s: but Jane was utterly unsuspicioun of the incident whieh had occurred, and of the pre- senve of the desperadu in the huuse, -althuugh it struck het that her mistress was somewhat flur- ried, and that it was likewise singular she should remdin in conversation with her there. The ex- imilliner heard the front duor close; and abe then quitted the kitdien. Rejoining Sir Frederick Latham in the hail, she conducted him into tho parluur; and the merchant said, “You may per- haps think it strange, Madame Angelique, that I ub! shuuld have suffered that miscréant to escape: but as you heard a part of that conversation which 2 held with him, you may possibly have underetoudl that I have a readdn fer dealing thus leniently. The truth is, he has given me some information Which I was most anxivas to obfain, and fur which LOAO© COLUM SS (CO)