The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 206: what you’re looking at

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

TUR MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. 199 from the general character of the boozing-ken that he was unlikely to receive any assistance sped off to the nearest station-house. i E as he hed not merely been traced to that boosing- | to ken, but his cast-off garments were likewise disco- house, he did not know who he was—and had not the least idea that he wae wanted by the officers of justice. On being farther questioned, he gave an Sere eecTPE On of the wait of clothes which he had lent him,—thus endeavouring to display the utmost seal in affording the constables as much information as he could, in order to exonerate himself. The consequence was that an advertise- ment was drawn up, containing a description of Chiffin, together with the suit of clothes borrowed. from the landlord: and this was inserted every day for a week in the newspapers,—after which time it was only published occasionally. These necessary explanations being given, the reader will better understand the incidents which are to follow. On making his exit from Edenbridge Park— after his adventure with the Marquis of Eagle- pursued his way as long as it was dark ; and when morning dawned, he stopped at a lonely cottage— where, on proving that he had the means to pay, he was accommodated with what he wanted. As a matter of course he had kept his word in not seeking an interview with Lord Harold Staunton ; bacause it was his interest to adbere strictly to the terms dictated by the Marquis. At that cottage he remained the entire day,— telling some plausible story to avert any suspicion which might attach iteelf to such conduct on his part. When night came, he set out again—pur- suing his journey on foot until morning, when he in rested at some isolated hut,—resuming not his travels till the re-appearance of night. In this manner did he journey, taking care to avoid the metropolis, and crossing the Thames at Kings- ton. His way was then continued northward; and at the expiration of « week he reached Liver- poo There he took up his quarters at a low pot- house in one of the obscurest neighbourhoods of thas immense town; and cautiously instituting Inquiries with respect to the sailing of vessels for America, he found that he should still have to wait four or five days before he could emberk. He however felt tolerably confident of being en- abled to remain in snug security at the public- house; ami as he had plenty of ready money in his pocket, he possessed the means of whiling away the time with as much liquor and tobacco as were requisite for such a purpose. But he had not been four-and-twenty hours at this place, when he was horribly alarmed by reading in the London "Times one of those advertisements to which we have alluded, and which were still repeated at intervals. It gave such a life-like portraiture of the man and such an accurate description of the costume which he then wore, that he felt his security would be terribly menaced if the same advertisement met the eyes of the people of the house, or any of ite frequenters. He therefore hastened to pay his bill and take himeelf off. He however resolved to remain in Liverpool, as it was more en one ever necessary that he should escape to the United States, now that he had received such a startling proof of the measures which were being adopted in London to capture him. The first necessary ing to avert suspicion from himself, was to obtain snother suit of ap- parel with the least possible delay; and then he hoped that in a costume quite different from the owe specified in the adverlnoment, and by shifting his quarters every night, as well as by keeping himeelf particularly close during the day, he might ensure his safety till the vessel should sail. It was about nine o’clock in the evening when he quitted the low public-house after seeing the advertisement in the manner just described ; and recollecting that at no great distance there was an old clothes’ shop, he bent his steps thither. After a very brief inspection of the garments dis- played for sale, he made choice of a coarse suit fitted for one in the labouring walks of life; and perceiving an old white hat with a rusty crapo band round it, he resolved to purchase that like- wise. The bargain was made—he paid the —took the suit—and went away with it. That night he passed at a public - house in another quarter of the town; and when he arose in the morning, dressed himself in the garb bought on the previous evening. Chiffin now looked something like himself again: that is to say, he was apparelled much in his wonted style before he had put on the borrowed suit belonging to the Bethnal Green landlord. It was a matter of calculation with the Cannibal to have thus assimilated his present raiment to that which he habitually wore. In the first place, it was so totally unlike that which was advertised in the newspaper : and in the second place, jf he were seen at Liverpool by any¥ne who knew him in London, the individual so recognising him would fancy it to be a mistake, and would argue that it was far from probable that Chiffin would dress him- self in his old habitual style. Throughout that day he remained at the public-house where he had slept : but in the evening, in pursuance of his settled plan, he took his departure and proceded to another in a distant quarter of the town. Had he still more particularly consulted his own safety, he would at once have retired to the chamber which he secured for the night’s accommodation: but he could not resist the temptation of passing into the tap-room and sitting down to drink and smoke with whom- soever he might find there. He considered him- self to be quite safe. It was one of the lowest description of public-houses,—situated in a very narrow alley, not above eight feet wido ; and the old COMMUC DOO CS (COL