The Mysteries of the Court of London, Vol. 7 — page 211: what you’re looking at

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Sie 7a GINS ateapen— ape Seinen 8 se 0 epi rene rep ine re eipsetaiver CREE, 2h GTR reer? Et ry | hs oe 200 — must find out her deceased husband’s relations, and band them over the money : for she has got no relations of her own.” . “Ah, sir, it’s like your strict integrity!” ex- claimed Mrs. Webber. “I heard « of your churacter in Liverpool thé day I applied for the situation; and all tha was told me made me in- deed most anxious to get it.” “Yos, yos, Mra. Webber,” resumed Pollard ; “the monoy shall be righteously dealt with. There it is,” he added, glancing towards the safe: then, instantaneously perceiving that be had imadver- tently let drop an admission which he was’ ever in the habit of making to a soul—and into - be could only have been thus led by his confidence in his new housekeeper,—he hastened to say, “I mean the money is forthcoming——not here, ‘of course——at the banker's!” “Oh, to be eure, sir! replied Mrs. Webber: “TI know you keep very little ready money in the house; and for my part I tell Alice and the tradespeople that you never have any at all.” “ Ah, that’s right, my dear good Mra. Webber !” exclaimed the old miser, his eyes glistening with satisfaction at the assurance she had just given him. “ And it’s qnite true too! I don’t think I've got five shillings in the place! No—I'm sure I have not!”-—and thus apeakihg, MrSWPol- lard drew forth from hie pocket three-halfpence, a fuurpenny-piece, a shilling, and a sixpence,—all of which voins he displayed on the palm of his hand, as if the production thereof wore irrefraga-: ble evidence of the truth of his statement. “ You hav’n’¢ seen this Mrs. Rayner for many yeara—have you, sir?” inquired the housekeeper. “Tt must be ten good years since I last saw her,” anawered Pollard. “Sha was then a bit of a girl: but L have heard that sho grew up into 4 very fine handsome woman. I don’t suppose I oould possibly recognise her; and for this very reason she is sure to bring the proper papers with her to prove her iderttity. And now you under- stand why it ie that I don’t believe the lady who was killed, can be Louisa, on account of the ab- sence of all such corruborative documents about her person, or in any bow or trunk that might have been aupposed to belong to her.” Mrs. Webber now withdrew from her master’s presence: but instead of retiring to the kitahen, or to her own chamber, she isqued forth from the back-door of the house, and entered the yard. This was surrounded by walls; and in the one at the extromity there was a gate communicating with a narrow alley, ‘The instant Mrs. Webber appeared upon the threshold of thia back gate, she was juined by a man who had evidently been lurking in the June. Not a syllable was epoken until the fellow entered the yard; and then, the gate being closed, he bogan conversing in an andefitone with Mrs. Webber. “Well, what news?” he inquired, eagerly. “Good, Barney,” was the woman’s response. “YT have just succeeded in discovering that the old chap Age got a mint of muney in the iron safe.” “Ah! you're a clever 'un,” said the Burker, io a tone of admiring satisfaction: “you all along declared as how you was conwinced the old fogey had his blunt in that there wery identical place. Then I e’pose you mean the tidy littl job to be done to-night ” By THE MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. ee owes 0 ee a oe » @ Ogres pews S=q00m, oe ee el pe * Yes—to-night,” answered Mrs. Webber. “Ya that lady come yet P” “No—and that’s why, after what I’ve learnt, the business must be for to-night.” “Well, it’s a reg’lar blessin’,” interjected the | Barker, “that you’ve made up your mind at last, arter all this here hesitating and dilly-dallying which has kept me and Bill Scott all on the tenting-’ooks of i “Why, you suet understand, Barney,” said the treacherous housek , “that it was better to put off the business for a few days till I could obtain certain and positive information as to whether Pollard had got in the house the money he has to pay to Mrs. Rayner.” “Yes—and with the chance thet Mrs. Rayner would suddenly ‘turn up,” growled the Burker, “receive her blunt, and walk off with it. It warn't good policy, marm—it warn’t good policy.” “How absurdly you talk, Barney!” said Mrs. Webber angrily. “I tell you it was absolutely necessary to ascertain whether the old man really kept enough in his house to render it worth while-——” “Well, and now you've got at the rights of the matter,” rejoined the delectable Mr. Barnes, “and the business is to be done right slick off-hand, with no more humbugging delays. Well, that’s your sort, marm; and so’we won't have no more argyfication on the pint. I’m blest if this Liver- pool business won’t be the best dodge we was ever put up to, Wasn't it a lucky thing that Jack Smedley should have run down to Liver- pool just arter that little bit of business with the lodger—and that he should have heerd tell of this old miser’s wanting a housckceper. I’m blowed if it im't enough to make a cat or 4 helephant crack his precious tough sides to think how Pollard bit at them precious stiffikits which Jack drawd up his-self and put all them there fine names to.” “Well, well, Barney,” interrupted Mrs. Webber, “don’t stand wasting precious time here—but be off with you, and lay hold of Bill Scott, so as to be punctual.” “ Bill’s handy enow, and as ready to lend a hand as he is to ewill his harf-an’-harf, or dewour his bDiled mutton for supper. And now tell us how it’s all to be.” A few whispered arrangements were settled between the treacherous woman and her villanous accomplice ; and then they separated. But it struck Barney the Burker that as he emerged from the bask gate, his ear caught a sound.as of some one darting away—and he farther conjec- tured that this some one was a fgmale by the rustling of the garments. His keen eyes flung their piercing glances in the same direction: but the alley was involved in total darkness—and he could therefore distinguish nothing. He now, rushed forward along the lane: but he overtook no one; and therefore endeavoured to persuade himself that he had either yielded to a false alarm, or else that it was some person belonging to an adjacent house speeding forth on a message, and that the incident had no particular significaucy to warrant his transient apprehensions. Still there was a certain vague misgiving in the mind of | Barney the Burker; and ere he returned to the & NOG — on SS