The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 115: what you’re looking at

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

{ ' | a= Gay oy cee Eee oD GEE ee, a eee ee © 102 iew-fangled laws and so ott. Why, if I only stand a minute or two in the street, just to take a look dt what is going or; up comes 8 blue-bottle and stares at mé fust of dll as if there was thredte of treadmills in his eyes; and then he bids mé move off just as if his had borrowed its tones from thé knocket of Newgate. But if I happen to Idok raythér bird at some swell cové passing dong, dnd chance to follef in the same difection— then, by jingo! Yd better cat and ran for it; or else up afore the beak—no one to speek to my tharacter—all in wait to cay [ni & honest ‘ard- working weeks on thé cvetlastihg staitcase am 4 rogue’ exit It was only the first thing | discovered 99 ne. THE MYSTERIES OF THE COUST. < matter of a little more than two monthe oould have made such a change in a, liumen being. But that’s wliy you, Jack;” she added; to her son-in-law, “call him old. His face is.as thin and da pale as a ghost’s: he wasn’t very fat when he first came—but he has so shrunk away that his clothes. hang on him just as if they were never made for him at all.” | “ But has hb got the ready?” demanded Barney : “ for that’s the principal thing we have got to look at.” . .. “We know he has got ¢ome money,” responded man—but off to the stone jag, and six Bab; “and I will tell you how we found it out. this that we it—but wo all j that he suspected Mr. Barna ths Barker’é Inliguage increased in| had hcerd, tovgly he did domo withiat engthing vehemence and bitterness as he thus enumerated | his ¥ ¢ ahd when be had finished; he stiuck flie table so violently with his fist that the bottles, jugs, dnd glasses appeared as if they were d & reel. Then, after 4 panse—d ‘which tlie injured fnafi looked slowly round upon his listendtd to dscertaini the effect which his wordé had pro. duced—he ddded doggedly; “ And Ml that’s oiled jtistice !” “ Dini afraid times have been as bed with you lately,” ecid Mrs. Smedley, “as they have ith us. For & tnatter of tent monthé wo Had “Till this present ore come,” observed thd Barker. “Well, and what do you make ott of him P—for I suppose it’s shout ¢ that yoo seiit up {he memage to me to-day by young Tim : t 99 “ Right one he Bariiey,” exclaimed Smedley. “ He’s a queer that old fellow up-stairs——— “ Old indeed !” said Mrs. Webber, who was her- Self sixty—and thérefore shé spike with dome degree of indignation: “he is not more than fifty —and I im sure I call that quite young !” “ Nonsense, motiier !” interposed Bab Smedley, with her usual about such silly trifles:”” then low her voice to a mysterious whisper, she aid to Barkef, “We mean to do it.” “ And right enow téo {” he ariswered ; “$6 So be you've madé sure it’s worth while.” . “Trust us for that,” responded Bab. « My mother, though she is so dilly in sonio r precious sharp in others; and she has wormed er- self into the lodger’s pood ”? “ What's his name again ?” Barney. “Smith,” responded Bab: “but of course we knew very well, the moment he came to the housé, that it wasn’t his right name. He looked so wild and frightened—and seemed glad to be able to hide himself any where ; and when I had showed him the lodgings, told him what the price was, and asked for a reference, he asid he couldn’t itive any, but he would pay his rent in advance. And then I asked him his name; and he seethed to hesitate for a minute whether he should call him- self Brown, Jones, Thompeon, or Smith.” “ And he has never once been out since he came here,” observed Smedley; taking up the tale: ~ Dever once croesed the threshold of the front "6 waste time oor.” ‘“ And he has been all of a nervous the whole time,” said Mrs. Webber. ‘“ Ah! and how he has altered too! I shouldn’t have thought that ancing pey. . nd expect thing .“ Well, bat abodt the Burket, mixing himself another glass of hot spirits- and-water. “Why, you sade,” resamed Bab, “my mother went up as usual this morning to ask him about his dimher; and she geve him his weekly bill to §o——=’ | - “Let me tell the story, Bab,” interrupted the old Woihan. “You must ue Barney, cm he’s rant letting out go 1 wf ausaldn's wonder cheerved Berney, “if be us| Dae rin awey from his place of employment, or sammat of that sort—perhape bolted aff with the contents.. of fhe. eash-box! But go on, Mrh Webber.”. & Well,” cohtintied the old woman, “ Mi. Smith @aid he didn’t want no doctor—he woaldn’t sée Cations fr oange oe Continent for change “He won't, though!” said the Barker, with a look of savage ferocity, “if he has got dll that gold in his puree. IFm rayther hard up just at this moment——-Alll my togs, you see, is in Queer Street :”—and he looked slowly down at his coarse sordid apparel. “Wow you know as intch of him as we do; reniarked Bab Smodley; taking up the thread the discourse. “So, when mother told us all that —-how cho had seefi the second purte, and how he had hinted about going away—we t the best tiiing we could do was to send up to you at once, to tell you to eome down this ovening and talk over the business. But hark! the up-stairs ee i a ae COMMIC DOO Col