The Mysteries of the Court of London, Vol. 7 — page 344: what you’re looking at

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

| | | | : | | ee ee a eg — —though my friend Withers was a few years back, if I don’t mistake. You was a bum-bailiff once, Withers—wain't you ?' “ What's that to you?” growled the sulky gén- tleoman, who thought that his comrade was oarry- ing the delicacy of the proceeding to a moat unne- cessary degree of refinement. “ Whatsomever I was once, I’m a detective now.” “ ‘You see, sir,” continued Mr. Shadbolt, “ that there isn’t a better-hearted fellow in all the world than my friend Withers; and there ien’t a more gentlemanly dog than honest Ike Shadbolt—though ho says it of himself which shouldn't say it. Gay and dashing gentlemen like you, sir, will get into trouble; and with such brilliant examples as Dr. Dodd and Mr. Fauntlervy before your eyes, for- gery must be looked upon as one of the genteel little frailties of which human natur’ is susceptible in this eublunary spear.” Having thus wound up bie truly beautiful and highly edifying speech—wherein by an ingenious implication he conveyed to the prisoner the precise charge for which he was captured—Mr. Shadbolt took a pinch of snuff, and affected to be a long time in partaking of that refreshment—whioh was another piece of delicate consideration on his part, the purpose being to affurd Mr. Sycamore leisure to compose his feelings. “Am I to go with youP” asked the wretched man, his countenance white as a sheet and his whole form trembling nervously. ‘‘In course you be,” growled Mr. Withers, who scemed offended at the bare idea of the necessity fur such a proceeding being doubted. -“ Hold your tongue, Withers,” said Mr. Shad- bolt. “The fact is, my dear sir, we would cheer- fully do without you if we could: it grieves us to disturb you at dinner—but it is imposstble to dispense with your society, now that we have had the honour of forming your acquaintance. But no one need know anything about it. And look you here, sir,” he added, suddenly lowering his voice to a mysterious whisper, and drawing the prisoner partially aside; “just tip my friend Withers five guineas, and he'll leave those hand- cuffs that he’s got with him, all snug at the bottom of hia coat-pocket. Excuse me too for observing that J am uot exactly above accepting the same little compliment for myself, as you might possibly suppose I aw.” - You will let me keep all I have about me—or all I may get?” said Sycamore,—who, now that the bitterness of his arrest was past, began to recover his self-possession. “You shall experience just such treatment, sir,” answered Mr. Shadbolt, “as we should show our own brother if he got into trouble and we was charged with the business.” Sycgmore drew out his purse, and handed five guineas to Mr. Withers, who was thereupon most graciously pleased to suffer his cuuntensnee to expand into a more amiable expression than it had hitherto worn; while Mr. Shadbolt, on receiving a similar gratuity, proclaimed his conviction that Mr. Sycamage was a regular gentleman aad should be treated es such. “Will you‘et me go into the next room for a few momente P” asked Sycamore hastily. “Not if eo be as there’s a dour on t’other side,” responded Mr. Withers. 6 ete | THER MYSTRRIES OF THE COURT. iy a> qa pee) S83 . There is not” ‘gnawored Byoamore 3 # there in thie door, and thare is the one upow the land i at ae “But what do you want?” asked Wither sulkily. “Never do you mind what th wants,” eaid Shadbolt, © Waitrnts Thereupon ho skipped towar¥atibe munication in order to peep through the key-hole and ascertain whether there was @ door or vot at the further extremity of the adj room, But ashe popped his head suddenly down, he caught the twinkling of an eye on the other side of the key-bole: then that eye was abruptly withdrawn —he could see into the next room—aad he beheld a young gentleman rapidly retreating towards another young gentleman who sate at the table. “Your friende have twigged you, sir, ge am sorry to say,” observed Mr. Shadbolt, turning away from the door and addressing himself to the prisoner. “They have beon listening, sir; for I saw an eyo—and where an eye can peep an war can plant itself.” Mr. Sycamore gave utterance to an oath expres. sive of hie bitter vexation and disappointmont. » The fact is, he had intended to take advantage of the generous offers just now made by the two young gentlemen. The forged bill for whioh be was arrested, was for five hundred pounds; and he had pu to represent to those young gontle. men that he was in the custody of sheriffs’. officers for a debt to a similar amount—aso that if he could manage to obtain that sum from them he would have a chance of bushing up the affair immediately oo his arrival in London with the detectives. But this hops was now complotely overthrown; and scarcely bad Mr. Shadbolt an- nounced to him that “bis friends had twigged him,” whea he heard the bell down stairs ringing violently. It was the boll of the adjoining rvom ; and the waiter was not very long in answering it, inasmuch as he had been nearly all the time upon the landing, with his own ear applied to the koy- hole of the sitting-room where the above described scone with the officers had taken place. “Our hate, waiter, immediately ! our hate!’ the two young gentlemen ijn the adjacent. apartment wore now heerd to ejaculate: and then the words ‘agwindler,” ‘“ furger,” “adventurer,” “‘ scoundrel," and other equally pleasing appellations were likes wine wafted to the wratched Sycamore’s oars. “Good heaven, what an exposure!” moaned the wretohed man, turning away towards the win- dows The waiter entered to fetch the two young gen- tlemen's bate, which had been left in the sitting. room ; and he relieved his own feelings by sparring for a moment like clook-work behind Mr. Syosa- more’s back, at the same time making signs to the two officers—ai much as to imply thst he knew it all, and that ae he was now convinesd he should never get a penny pieco from Mr. Sycamore fur waiting on him, he should very much like to inflict summary chastisement upon the scoundrel. Having performed this panto- mime, he said gruffy, * Did you speak, sir P” “Who? L? No!” ejaculated Sycamore, startled from his wretched reverie and turning abruptly round. , “Then you had ought to,” returned the waiter s NOG SS CO