The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 390: what you’re looking at

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

THE MYSTERIES. means strict at the pdriod whereof we are writing and tiat money could purchase many indulgences: hhenee the privilege which the young woman had eb- tained of walking in that hall, instead of being confined to the yard allotted to female criminals. It’ was now the dinner-hour. Thode prisoners who received the gaol allowance, had their rations daly-served out'to them; while those who were abie to maintain themselves were gathered at the gratings round the doors of the yard, in eager ex- pectation of the arrival of their provender from outside. This was brought either by the waiters of the taverns and coffte-houses in the Old Bavey, or olseby the friends of the prisoners ;— and during the ten minutes that the process of Bringing the various dinners lasted, the hall where Caroline was walking was full of bustie and ani- mation, — She stood to watch the scene: and as the doors Communicating with the yard now stood open, she was enabled to observe the countenanves of the men who thronged around the iron gratings which interpoeed their barrier between the prisoners in those yartis and the visitors, waiters, or friends who came by way of the hall. And many vilJan- one ill-looking, hideous faces did Caroline now behold,—faces every line and lineament of which Bespoke whole catalogues of misdeeds :-—bat there were two countesances which struck her as being more deeply stamped with crime and more darkly indicative of human infamy, than all the rest. Indeed, it was with a cold shudder that she gazed upon those two individuals who had thus particu- Darly attracted her notice, and who were evidently waiting with a surly impatience for the arrival of thetr dinner. The friendly tarnkey, of whom Caroline pnur- chased the various privileges and indulgencer which she enjoyed, was lounging at one end of the hall, keeping watch upon those persons who were now entering the prison: and the {mpulse of curi- osity ted her to accost him with an inguiry relative to the two ill-looking feliows who had so ecepecially engaged her attention. “ ‘Who are they, Miss?” cjaculated the turnkey, repeating the query which she had put to him: why, the most notoriousest scoundrels in all Evrope! That fellow with the savage look is called the Magsman—thongh his proper name is Joe Warren: t’other chap is called the Big Beg- gearman—though his real name is Stephen Price. They're going to be tried by the Admiralty Court for piracy, murder, and God knows what all. That fellow the Magsman once escaped out of this gaci in a most extraordindry fashion——But see how savage he and his pal look because their dinner hasn’t come yet. They're the ouly two men waiting at the iron bars—and won't Carrotty Poll catch it when sire cones ?” “ Who is the female you have named?” inquired Miss Walters. “Te Big Beggarman'’s daughter,” responded the turnkey. “She always—or nearly always eomes hervelf with the dmner——” * I suppose she lives hard by, then ?” “Not at ail, Miss. She keeps a low public at Horsiydown: but‘she generally comes up to see her father and his pal at mid-day, and so she brings in their dioner with her. Lord bless ye, Miss! there's no waut of money in that quarter—and 379 you'll presently see her come with a devilish nice dinner for those rascals—a pair of fowls with broiled ham, may be—or a pigeon pie——But here sheis’ “Good morning, Mr. Pignran,” said Carrotty Poll, bestowing this passing compliment upon the turnkey as she entered the hal! at the moment: then, hurrying towards the ‘grating, she deposited on the ground the heavy basket which she had. brought with her. “ Now, Miss,” said the turnkey, in a hurried whisper, to Caroline Walters, “if you want to hear Carrotty Poll catch it, you'll just creep bebind that stone pillar~and I'm blowed if ‘you won't be amused.” An unaccotntadle impulse urged the young woman to adopt the hint which Mr. Pigman thus gave her in a jocular mvod;—and advancing down the hall, she turned aside mid-way and posted ‘her- self behind the massive stone pillar that, was nearest to the particular grating wirere the expected col- loquy was to take place. “ Well, Poll,” said the Big Beggarman, grufily, “ what the devi] has made you 80 late—eh f* “ Because I've been making ‘inquiries about ‘the matter you told me of yesterday—and ‘that’s why,” answered the red-hgired young woman in her: abarp . vixenish voice. “ And what's the resuit, galt’ demanded her- father. “Why, I've found the queer Christian wame in. one of the fashionable books that contain all the - noble and great families of the country,” answered: Carrotty Poll. «“ Welland who owns the name?” asked the . Magsman. “ Lord! how long the gal is giving us - an explanation |” “ BeeauseI’m out of breath with running om ac-- count of being to late, and aleo with lagging this. heavy basket along from the tavern over the way. Bat if you'll give me time I°]l tell you al! about it.” “Go on,” said the Afegsman and the Begyarman, both as it were in the same breath. “In-the first place, then,” continued Carrotty- Poll, “I took with me the lad Alfred that T've- spoken to you about—the same who did the business. for Lord Florimel up at Rigden’s——”* “Yes, yoo—we know what you mean,” ext¢iaimed. the Magsaman: “you've told us all about-that busi- ness already. By the bye, I suppose ‘Florime! paid . you devilish handsome fer getting him-back his papers from Rigden——” “Five hundred guineas fer that’ Dosiness, ands couple of hundred for saving Pauline Marendos, from the power of the Princeseven hindred In all,” said Carrotty Poll, with a chuckle: “and so- that’s a pretty little.sum to add to what we had already mustered up to help as on in tho world. when we “To besure,” said the Magnan, with a chuckle : “and we musn’t forget that:my dear detectable wife, Mrs. Brace, as she chooses to call herself, contrihnted a thousand pounds tother day towards that sam. It was lucky she was made to shell out. ‘in that manner just before she got lumbered for the marders. Who the devil would ever have thought that she had plutk enongh to do such things? And isn’t it odd that we should both be in lavender at the same time—sho in one yard, and me in another? I wonder whether abe ever in- ElOOO® SS co