The Mysteries of the Court of London, Vol. 7 — page 210: what you’re looking at

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

GR } SaeaR ew rete & 3 ohn oe eee eerie aqpugrere-+umeseh Ge ee - ~— —__—_ sR + wh aie er OG ae tee 2 oer ' pecommendation m her favour; because the old man had found—or fancied that he had found the - Liverpool servants se extravagant and dishonest, _ eve = =_= he had made a row never to take another houpe- keeper from amongst them. Therefore, when | ance Mrs. Webber — which was the neme of the new superintendent of the miser’s housshold— | had presented herself three weeke back as a can- - didate for the post that had fallen vaeant, abe ' was specdily aceepted~—and all the more readily ome - — —_— i ee m= os -_—=— too, because she was eo exceedingly moderate on the score of wages. We have ep of a maid- of-all work who was kept in addition to Mrs. Web- ber; and it is requisite for the p of our tale that we should add that thie girl did not sleap in the house, but game at an early hour in the morn. ing and left at about eight or nine in the even- ing. Mr. Pollard’s house had never been handsomely furnished ; and of late years the greater portion of it was shut up,—it baing entirely useless, as be never gave parties—never received gnests—aud his only visitora were those who came on businensa. |*He did not habitually sit in the only parlour — that was kept for use: but there was a sort of store-room at the back of the house, on the ground- floor, where he prineipally sat. The reason can be explained in a few words:—the apartment had ‘ certain defences which rendered it, so to speak, a stronghold of the miser's fortress. It had im- mense iron bars at its only ygndow: it had a huye massive duor, that could not possibly be forced open withuut creating a considerable dis- turbance; and thero was moreover an iron safe let into the thick wall; - so that in every respect was this apartment the one beat calculated for Mr. Pobard’s use. sit during the day,—proeceding only to the parluur tu receive visitors on bueinees: here, in this strong ruom likewise, did he Keep his hoards in the iron sste; and here of late years had he thought fit to sleep at night. For the old miser had grown excessively deaf; and not for worlds would he have slept in any other part of the house, with the chance of an entry being effeeted by either window or door, and he-too dull of hearing to catch the sounds! Every night, befure seeking his bed, did he lock and barricade the muasive door of the strong room: but it 1 even a queation -whether with such defences as were conatituted by that wooden barrier and by the bars of the win- dow, the miser slumbered in tranqaillity. It was about eight o'clock in the evening--a few days after the railway accident—that we shall find old Anthony Pollard taking bis tea and supper (sich two meals ho, for economy's suke, blended im one) in the strong room just alluded to. A singlétallow-candle burnt upon the table: ghe crockery was of the commonest description; and the bonc- fur it was a mere bono—upon a . cracked dish, was only fit to become a dog’s pur- “tion, and not to furnish a meal for a hungry wan, Unturtuvately Mr. Pollard evuld not over-rule nature's cravings, thouch he waa always endea- ' Yourng to persuade himself that be could not J ’ | d - @ eee ar ~.eeaeeee oa, afford to gratify them, ond that he should be ruined if he did. Thus, though fhe wretched man really longed for a good substantial meal—and cuuld have devoured it too at any other persun’s cxpense, if favuured with an invitation to supper—be never- en eR QED OEE IE Rome eys eee > THE MYSTRIES OF TIIE COURT. Herc, then, was he accustomed oa | ide 199 vo ww Ben of a eon ~ ptanpatens dat st theless tried to pick a laat morsel from that /mautton-bone which really had naught lefe upon it. Prosentlysthe hago door of the reom slowly apened; and Mre. Webbor made her sppear- * Well, ia Alice gone?” demanded Mr. Pollard, thus alluding to the maid-of-all-work. “Yes, sir—she has gone,” was the housckveper’s responac, delivered in a loud shrill tone on aceount of her master’s deafness. “Aud what's more, the slut grumbled beesuse aho said I did xot give Lor endugh bread and eheese to take home for her supper.” “Ab[ you ate a good woman, Mrs. Webbor!” exclaimed Pollard, — “a very good woman !— thrifty and economical! ‘You are the only house. — keeper who bas ever yet shown « regard to my - intereats.” “I always mean to do 60, air,” rejoined the woman, with an air of great obsequiousness, note withstanding that she had to cry out in that shrill manner, “I have lot tho parlour fire go out, sir,” sho continued, “as I don’t suppose the lady you havo been expecting for tho last fow daye will make her appearance this creuing PF’ “Doar me, how provoking that ahe does not eame!” ejaculated Pullard. “She wrote and auid she should be with me a few days back; and here, every ddy since, have I been having o fire kept tn the parlour, and little extras in the larder —because, you sce, a8 T have already teld you, Mrs. Wehber, I must ask her to atay a day ar two with me.” “ Well, sir, of courso you know best,” responded the housekeeper: “but I can’t help thinking that you aro putting yourself to a very unnecassary cx- pense on account of this Mrs. Rayner.” * Ah! but she can’t very well help making roo a Tittle present,” ejaculated the lawyoy, “ when IT pay her over her money and rosign my guatviianayip. So this little extra civility, Mrs. Wobber, will coat me nothing: ot { should sny; it is only a few shil- | lings laid out ab wncommon good’ interest :"~and the old miser rubbed his hands chucklingly as he thus epoke. ; “And who knows, sir,” inquired Mre. Webber, “but whet Mrs, Rayner was the lady who, was killed the uther day by the railway accident P” “Wot likely {” anewered the lawyor; “ berause Mrs. Rayner would have bern sure to have pa- pers about her, to identify hor: whereas it is very evident from the newspaper reports that. the who was killed, and who was represented as own, had no such papers at all.” “And yet,” remarked the housekeeper, “ I saw in to-day’s paper--which the potboy Jent me when he brought the pint of beer for mine and Alice's dinner—that the lady bas not been recoguised or claimed by any one,” “ Recognised indeed!” echoed Pollard: “how can a person with her face amashed tu picees, be possibly recognised? However, if Mrs. iayocr don’t come iu a day of two—and if I don’t hear from jicr—1 shall really begin to thiuk you must be right, and that perhaps after all the unknown lady of the railway accident was my ward Louisa.” e “ Aud suppose she’s den], sir FP” said the houses keeper inquiringly, “Ab! if she’s dead,” responded Pollard, “I CONMUC NOG a ee bln eee etme ey an wee Paes wsgpreearcagenstt Operates gaa PEP TEED | Te RRR ETERS Ee SP SSSI CAG IESERSIS aS tetanic see eemectnadonata SS