The Mysteries of the Court of London, Vol. 7 — page 131: what you’re looking at

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

Jetter-~————”” 120 night accordin’ to appintment, if it hadn’t been for the message you, Jack, sent to the contrairy by Tim Scott when you happened tq meet him.” “Don’t you remember,” said Mrs. Smedley, “ it Was agreed upon we should get hold of that letter which Mr. Smith was going to send off—” “ Aya, to be sure,” remarked the Burker: “and 6o I suppose he didn’t send no letter at all P” “Not yesterday,” replied Mre. Smedley: “ he ssid he should put it off till to-day.” “And he was in a worse tremble than ever when he said so,” added the old mother. “Quite narvous—eh ?” said the Burker ; and then he took a long draught of spirite-and-water. “ There's nothing like this for the narves; and I do raly think that a genelman could go as a genel- man ought to Tuck up Fair, and cut bis last fling in an exceedin’ dashin’ style, if he was only well primed with lush. But come—what about this here letter P” “It's nothing partioulgr after all,” said Jack Smedley. “But here it is-——-No, it, Bab ; and you can let Barney i¢ for him- self.” — “ Tf the writing’se at all queer,” responded the Burker, “ it’s of no more use to ask me to read it, than to tell a pig to dance a hornpipe on atilts. My learning might all be put into « thimble, and then leave room for the young lady which is ac- customed to use it to put her forefinger in.” “Wall, the writing isn’t so trembling and shaky as one might expect to find it,” asid Bab Smedley ; “and so you may read it for yourself.” With these words, she drew forth the inter- erpied letter, which she handed to Barney the Burker, who, having imbibed another draught from his tumbler, proceeded to peruse it in a cool and deliberate manner. “No—there's nuffin here that’s of any conse- quence toua,”’ he observed, when he reached the end; “and so I suppose 1 may just as well light a pipe with it.” “ No such thing,” exclaimed Bab, anatching the letter out of the fellow’s hand. ‘I mean to keep it—I have a fancy for doing 80. Who knows but what some day or another 1t. may be of use P’ “Ah, well—do just as you like,” said the Burker : “but of course you don’t mean to seal up the letter again and deliver it to-morrow morn- ing at the place it’s directed to P” . “Not quite such a fool!” rejoined Mra, ‘Smedley. “To be sure not!” observed Barnes: “for him‘ or her who took it to the house might be knowed again on any future ocvasion by the servant, or by them to which it is addressed; and then if any stir was made about the disappearance of a par- tickler individual_——though by the bye, he doesn’t give no name and no address in that there “Bat he says enough,” cried Jack Smedley, “to prove that he haa been a jolly rogue in his way.” “How would it be,” asked Mra. Webber, “to make free with his puree before his very facc— take it in a bold manner, 1 mean, and tell him to do his worst, for that we have found out all about bim——-” - “No,” interrapted Bab Smedley; “that will not do. How do we know that he has really dune 4 Ap, * 4 " : % ‘have got. THE MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. sufficient to make him so terribly afraid of the law as We may think that he has? It is little better than surmise on our part: for that letter doesn’t prove much, and is so ad “ No, no, ma'am,” said the Burker, addressing himself to Mrs. Webber; “it would never do te go on a mere wentur’. Whatsumever this Smith may have done, the lose of his purse might make him uproarious, raise the neighbourhood, and send ns all to limbo. Tho work must be done in qhite another way.” °° “To be sure,” said Bab Smdiley, after a little reflection: “Barney is right. Smith may have been, and no doubt is, a great rogue——” “And so Jet him be punished for his vicked- nese!” interjected the Burker: then fixing his hornble eyes upon Bab Smedley, whom he evidently regarded as the supreme authority in that house, he said, “ Well, I s’pose your mind’s made up, and it’s for to-night P” “It must be for to-night if it is to be at all,” yeaponded Bab: “for he said he was going away to-morrow.” “ And I am sure he will too, if he is alive to dé it,” said Mra. Webber: “for he was packing up his few things in his carpet-bag when I went to his room with the supper-tray just now.” “Now then, you two fellera,” said the Burker, ap he filled himself another glass and thus ad- dressed the Scotts, “you've already got to thank me for having done a blessed sight more to keep you on with your edication thm ever your own parents would have done if they was alive to take care of yer. And 80 as you've got on so well in what one may call the rudiments of your larnin’, I’m going to put you up into a higher class to- night and teach you another lesson. That was the reason I told you to come here on this partiklar occasion; and p’raps it is as well that there should be as much help as possible.” The two lade said not a word; but they scemed to have a perfect idea that some darker and deeper wickedness than any they had been yet acquainted with, was about to be perpetrated. Billi Scott’. large goggle eyes stared in a sort of glassy admira- tion upon the Burker, whom he evidently regarded as a very fine fellow; while his brother Tim leered with a horrible knowingneses upon the same indi vidual—thus not merely indicating that he com- prehended the nature of the deed that was to be done, but that he waa ali too ready to bear a part in it. * The Burker and Bab Smediey conversed together ° for some minutes in whispers: then whispered re- marks were aleo interchanged betwixt them, the woman's husband and her mother; and in a short time the. plan of proceeding wag duly settled. Soon afterwards—it being now about half-past ten o’clook—Mra. Webber lighted a chamber-candh, and quilted the scullery. In a few mfnutes ahe returned: and having carefully closed the door, she observed, “I have been up to ask him if he wants anything more: he says no, for that he is° going to bed.” “And you didn’t tell him,” asked the Burker, with « horrible grin, “that you had some friends here which would presently bring him up his, gruel ?” “ He told me to call him early,” continued the old woman, not heeding the interjected remark whick COMM NOG SS CO