The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 173: what you’re looking at

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

162 originals 7” demanded Mr. Bealby, somewhat in- dignantly. “And then too, my friend the curiosity-dealer taught me how to make mum- mies ” . “Make mummies?” cried Ben Limber, again in astonishment. “VYes—to be sure!” exclaimed Mr, Bealby. “I myself got up a couple of mummies in so artistio a manner that a member of the Archwological Society proved in a neat and interesting speech of about six hours’ duration, thet they wore at least four thousand years old; and there wag not a dis. sentient from this opinion. You see that mummy there, in the glass caseP I can assure you it was not in existence four months back ; and thie worn- ing a gentleman belonging to that very Society, and who is considered to be one of ite brightest ornaments—although he és deaf and half-blind— was thoroughly convinced that it is the oldest mummy ever brought into this country. He is to bring me twenty pounds for it to-morrow: but the worst of it, Ben,” added Mr. Bealby, lowering his voice somewhat, “is that I owe fifteen pounds to my landiady; and sbe will take very good care to receive the money from the old archamologist, or else she won't let that blessed mummy go out of the place.” “How long did you stay with your curiosity dealer?” asked Ben Limber: “or perhage I ought rather to have ioquired why you left bim ?” “Why, you see, the public curiosity is variable. To-day it’s aa old picture —to-morrow Tum Thumb: today some rubbish from Herculaneum — to- tnorrow the Busjesmans. Well, just at that time the discovery of the Californian gold regions was making a tremendous sensation: so 1 had some thundering large pieces of granite carefully gilt, and I exhibited them as nuggets. Thoy were in a ' glass case, and protected by a row of iron bars. I _ something else. guriously joined together . —-a advertised that they were worth seventy thousand pounds; and all the town came to see them. At length one of the workmen who had helped to gild the granite, came to the exhibition one Monday murning ; aod ashe was the worse for liquor to the extent of some three or four pots of bger, he let out the whole secret. I decamped—but with about eight hundred pounds in my pocket—the fruit of a furtniyht’s industry in displaying my nuggets. And would you believe it, Ben P—I fell a second time amongst thieves, and was plundered of my all!” “Light come, light go,” lauzhiog. “Ab! it was no laughing matter for me,” ob- served Mr. Bealby ; “ and I was obliged to take to Some little speculation which I it was merely the exhibi- being three conzer-eels produced me fifty guineas; and then [ resolved to turn curiosity- maker on my own account. I[ took these rooms: I applied wyself assiduously to work—I invested my little capital—and now that I have got my stuck -in-trade all in readiness, there comes a lull in the curiosity-market—thiogs are flat—skeletons are below par—old armour is at a discount —there eaid Mr. Limber, need not dwell upon tion of a sea-serpent, _ is no briskness in Roman brickbats—vessels from Herculaneum are dull—and nothing but that mummy appears to be looking up.” ** As pleasant a series of adventures as ever onc THR MYSTERIKS OF THE COURT. could wish to hear,” said Ben Limber. “ You are poor—and [ am poorer still: you will have five pounds to-morrow for yourself out of the twenty | — Ihave not got five pence, and no chance of getting them either.” “‘ Never mind, my boy,” said Mr. Bealby: “we ' shall be able to do something together. There's always a fine opening for men of enterprise end talent in this great metropolis. And I tell you what, Bon,” added the archmological gentleman, | in a tone of confidence—which was accompanied | by a look rendered all the more mysterious by the inflaence of the alcoholic liquor,—“twu chaps could work an oracle much better than one, I have often felt the want of a clever partner, or assistant, Lord bless you! if I had only such an auxiliary as yourself, [ should have in- vented and exhibited the perpetual motion long ago. But then where the devil wes I to geta trustworthy fellow to turn the crank in the oellar Pp” “True!” ssid Mr. Limber: “there are wo doubt many things which two can do together, but which can’t be escomplished by one.” “ I bave got hold of a capital idea,” said Mr. Bealbvy : “but it wants a little cash to stert it— some twenty or thirty pounds or so.” “Sell off the whole of this trampery and raise the coin,” suggested Mr. Limber, “ My dear fellow,” responded his edifying friend Mr. Bealby, “you require to be enlightened va this point. These things are not worth eiylteea- pence, unless somebudy takes a fancy to trem. Louk at their intrinsic value: it is nthing! Sead them to an auction, or call ina lut of brokers —and to what ignominijvus nothingness do all my beae- tiful curiosities becuine reduced! A brickbat is then simply a brickbat: this curselet, whica 1 de- clare to have been worn bs Sir Willidin Wallace at the battle of Fulkirk, turns out to be a H.-:s- Guard's rusty breasiplate, worth u few pence as old iron: that piece of pottery with the bandis broken off, and with the letters T. I. scratcned upon it—which I, speaking areh@ologiculls, pro- nounce to be an ancient Ro:nan vessel of the time of the Emperor Tiberius —tae initials standing for Tiberius Imperator, —that piece of pottery, I say, dwiudies duwn in a moment to a base pipkio ia which some urchin of modern times has confee- tioned hardbaxe or Everton toffie. So it is, my dear fellow, with the best part of these archao logical marvels—with all the quaint dresses and curious costumes: or at all events auctioneers and | brokers are such Goths and Vandals as to be utterly indifferent to the value with which anticuity stampsthem. Ina word, Ben, barring the mummy which is as good as sold, [ don’t think my whole collection, if sent to the hammer, would fetch tea stullings.” “Why notinavite a number of your archalogical friende to inspect the museum,” asked Mr. Limber, “and tell them that you want to sell off iu order bo make a vuyage round the world—or take a descent | into Vesuvius—or to plunge into the Meeistrum to see what causes the whirlpool ” “ All this is ingenious enough Ben,” interrupted Mr. Bealby: “ and I honour you for the inventive genius you have just displayed. But the trick will mot take. I told you just now that the curiusity market is as dull as ditch-water—skeletens are | (COLL _ __ a, (A) OOO SS} (COLL