The Mysteries of the Court of London, Vol. 7 — page 270: what you’re looking at

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

a Sg aN cP Pr 8 Tansee ED ee Ee we eee “ee ee ow es ee fe eee eee ee ee aw eee eee SS eee wBwgmsntee «eer oe fer a get SE agrees Ta eqiphsgérorer ager EF a et = THE MYSTERIES OF THE OoUnr, orrek Cael Ce ee —_—— iakles were covercd with immense joints and dishes of veretsbles: the kuives and forke were all chained to the tables; tho bear was drunk out ef the commouest brown muge-—for no publican wuuld trust his pewter pots within the walls of that plact. The atmosphere was of the sickliest duseriptixn--hot, ictid, and nauseating—made up or the Dreaths of many persons, the odours of the Can rasa whieh wrapped their forms, the stern ot the greasy vinnie, aud the etrong smell af the vevetables. but what hidvous objects were the hernes who wero thus bancvetting! Phe blind, tuc halt, and the mammed—the paralyzed and the eonsumptive —as well as the hale, lusty, and sirong—the sturdy vegear who obtains charity by eueraire Insolence, and the whining une who eliats if By bis pitveons talea—the one who ior twenty years has always had a wile and five small children periaing at hame—the wo- Svan who every dav fur tha last dogen years hus had a husband tying dead and nu money to bury bin —theygirl of siaicen who ever since ehe was ten has told the same tale of baving only just eume aut of the bosyatal and got no home nor futuer or micther---that great hutking fellow in a ‘orem. geaman’s garb, whose daily narrative of torwreck and less of all he possessed, has won roy min five suilhues m the course of a few hours’ MATIGYLIN EL -- thre sanctuoonious-looking, calculating arrant, whose diarotl reckoning 3s that from seven to five he can traverse aixty streets and -bevery stpeet pick up at least a penny, eo that ar daly ineome as likewise Eve shulings—tbhe Jderly woman dressed in widow's weeds, whe every lay for rhe last five-and-tweouty years baa just lost an execdent husband and been thrown out of a wee happy home -tac myzenious fellow who in the wionier-tune is a ttarved-out garduner, and in the summer-tine a factory operative suffering from the badness of the times.—all these, and othor varieties of imposture and mendicant roguery, were fully repres nied at this congress of joyously fonsting bepwarg, On quitting the seene which we have just de- semmbed, the constable conducted the two officers to the large tap-room of a public-housoe situated in ‘be noehbourhood of a saluon where theatrical re- prescutativns, siuging, aul dancing take place. Proviougiy to entering this tap-rgam, the poler- ataan informed Lord Charles Meredith and Captain Stanley that every individual whom they would see there was a noted thief—and that there would ant be one present who had wot figured in the vw chee-ecourts ~ many at the sesauuns- some at the 1 Dude y- and all wore or less often upon the treadmill, Wath this information the plico was entered: a few knowing winks were bestowed upon the pulice-constutie; but apart from these familiar slona of recoguitten, hittle attention was paid tu che visitors, ‘Pue freauemers of that place were accustomed to behold © swells,” as they dino. monated them, drop in to see a little of Lundon lifo—or, on the other hand, to sturch after some quief who had exerened hsaitientaludms sal upon them. All the vaned and won foul dupressions Wiich villany and crime, in tur ditcront grades ana degrees, can stamp upon the jiuman counte- nance, buzht be discerned in thit room; - and, heavens! what ai stuty fur the phrenvlogist! Wherefore go to Newsute to wepect the plaster oS Ol a Ro REENlSS or dae Go os, a we vies Ye ees = fe ie seg we ee. ply nd weet ey ay Et reese cuter Sng eS eee © OF Ass em ED Ale “ape em nar aml 7 TTA Te TIES st o 7S SR Se re 0 rE ee I ERD ohn eee 259 layered néeie w>unytia = we 2 Otte Ete oie casts of the countenances of defunct eriminals, when there aro these haunts in London where the faces of ghouls of liviug evil-doers can be atadied, and with all the more fuarfal accuraey-—with all the more frightful y real intensity, inasmuch a@ the worst avd darktst passions which are known ¢@ the hurnan soul can be thon observe! working Bron animated features and in their meat bideous Vitality, At the numerous tables in this room tho com. pany were seated,—all of them smoking, and all artiking tou-- but the liquors were var.ed accurdiny tu tastes and pecuntary resources; go that pasainys tproczl thoso grades which were represented by the daring butglar—tho bold thief. the cunning larconist — the pitiful area-sneak — or the mi- serabie puddin-atesler,—a corresponiling garut might be specified in the form of steamy panch— {uniblora of hot spirits-aud.water—quarterns of gin-pots of ala~and pints of porter, In this delectable place Lord Charles Meredith and Captain Stanley remained for about half-au-hour, ~at the expiration af which they took their departure, slull necumpanied by the pulice-officer. Ti eau of four other dens of doprarvity were vixitod; and it was now past midnight: but as vet not the slight. est sign was divcorned of the objects of their genreh, They did not of coureo think it of the slightest use to visit the &ouge in which the Burker ahd tho Seottas had been went to live, nor to take the alivhtest trouble ain watching the premises of the Smedteys: for there eould be little duubt that the Burkor and Bill Seott hud kept out of the way ut the time they mast have kuown the trinl waa commg on at Liverpool, so as to be on their guard in case of a result. perilous to their own personal sofuty. And now, tuo, that ¢he intclhienes of this result had arrited in London, it was all ¢'@ more certain that the rafflan and bis guilty ac. aplice would have taken the best possible preca. ‘song to elude the senrch which way sure to by instituted after them. Captain Stanley and Lord Charles now held a consultation with the police-eonstuble: for a certiin idea had struck the firotementioncd gontleman ; and hy thas ex; vessed himself:s- - ‘Phau, .o your aséijtance, constable, wo have reefived tie Initiative into the vatious phifses which the baunts of erife, viee, poverty, and dee bauchor} exhibit. But at stiskes me there must be plaees which each villains ag thosy of whom wo are io ararch, would specuely seek under exist. gue circumstances, and whence the very firat glimpse of a pohee-offcve’s uniform would seare them away, Now, are nut tese lihowise places tute which may be puaably soucht to iuveigio those well-dreasud persons Who foglt chance tu be in the neighbour. hood 2” * Yoq--thee are such places,” replied the cone atuble: “but at would be next to madnes for you to geek to. penetrate imte them, You would risk your he: but even af you escaped with Ciel, you mist rehow with certaluty upon beng robbed ated sii-treted.? “feserthetoss,” rejoined Captain Rtaniey, “only show me such a place as we have bee epeuking of and I will risk everstbing !” “And I afsurediy am nut the man to flinch from such danger,” said Lord Charles Meredith. “Bag (Lerc is obe thing to be thought of. If it be pom COMMGIOOKSHEOln