The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 354: what you’re looking at

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

aire. THE MYSTERTES OF THE COURT. We must now pass over a few hours, and sup- pose it to be shout ten o'clock at night. In en wp-stairs room-~in a low pubhec-house, situated in one of the worst streets in the worst part of Cam- den Town—four persons were assembled. These were Chiffin the Cannibal, Mat the Cadger, Spider Bill, and the old gardener. Of the first-mentioned of these worthies, it is by no means necessary to give the reader the slightest description: but of the second something may be said, inasmuch as he was a peculiar-locking person in his way. He was accustomed to dress in a sort of sporting style, but always in such shabby, greasy, sordid garments, that he might have been taken for a broken-down horse- chaunter. Sometimes he wore top-boote—sometimes gaitere—but always baggy. front of a shirt which did scrutiny in respect to cleanliness. This er- chief came nearly up to his mouth 00 that his chin was usually buried in it al 3 and was not merely the case in winter when it was cold, , bat likewise in the summer, even in the dog-days. His hat was sort of chimney-pot shape, but having seen such god service Eat the crown | bulged upward, thus giving a conical appear- ance to the article. He was of middle height -strongly built—of muscular development and The expression of his: compact countenance was that of thorough determina- tion: indeed = more daring, resolute - - looking the Cannibal. His eyes were dark and piercing: he had a snub nose—a very wide mouth—short ragged whiskers ;—and his hair was so uneven that it appeared to have been hacked about by a pair of blunt scissors wielded by some drunken barber, the last time it was cut. He had a habit of rest- ing his right hand upon his hip and assuming an attitude of boldest decision when engaged in con- versation ; and he likewise looked fixedly up with an insolent stare of defiance in the countenance of whomsoever he might wish to make an impres- sion upon. In his earlier yeara he had been connected with the turf,-expending thereon the few hundreds of pounds which he inherited at the death of his father, who was a tradesman. He had then hung on, for some time, to the skirts, so to speak, of those individuals with whom his sport- ing proceedings had thrown him in contact : go that he was said to have “cadged”’ for his living -——hence the surname he bad acquired. Of late years however he had sunk down very low, and had turned his hand to anything desperate—had fallen the vilest of associates—had be- come the flash man of such a disgusting woman as one of Widow Burley’s daughters—and might therefore be classed amongst the foul refuse and moet loathsome sweepings to be found in the great sooral sewer which constitutes more than half of the modern Babylon. As the above is no i character, wo tare Oe ee ws to describe him. In respect to Spider Bill, need say no more than We oay it was ten Glock lains, together with the emoking i ten; and it’s a good twenty minutes walk towards the villa. Besides which, we must separate and different ways.” “We will be off directly,” answered Chillin: “but don’t you dictate, old feller: ’eos why, I'm in command now.” “I suppose there isn’t no doubt of it’s all being equare and straightfor’ard this time,” obeerved Spider Bill: “for there’s been so many puts-off during I don’t know how many weeks past-——”’ “To be sure !” growled Chiffin: “’cos why, Lord Harold is a muff in these things—and you chaps ain’t much better. But here, you ese, I have only been in the business two or three days, and it’s to be done as nice as posible. But I say, you feller,” he added, turning to the “you're certain sure that ite all right at the vil -~-gh Pp? * T’ve told you so a dozen times,” was the old roan’s response. “I’m certain that Deveril sus- pects nothing.” “But what do you think Mr. Deveril could have been about, all that while absent from home from ;{ ten in the morning till three in the afternoon ?” inquired Chiffin. “ Why—coarting, to be sure, down in Caven- dich Square,” replied the gardener ; “and perhaps attending to business of some kind or another. But I'll answer for it that there’s nothing wrong; because I waited in the garden, as I've teld you, tii he came beck at three o’clook ; and he spoke as friendly and looked as happy as ever. Besides, didn’t I tell you that I went into the kitchen and stopped till he set off to go to Edenbridge. He came down to get his upper coat brushed, and told me he was just about to start. In a word, when I went and told Lord Harold im the forenoon that all was right, I made sure it was; and so you will find it to be.” “ Well, we'll take it for granted it is so,” said Chiffin. “It isn’t that I'm afraid, you know,” he added, with a grim look as he glanced slowly found upon his companions: “but I don’t like such a thing as a failure; and as we've only got half our reward paid down, and are to have t’other half when the job’s done, I want to make as sure of the last as I am of the first :”—and here he significantly teyped his pocket. “Of course,” observed Mat tho Cadger, with an assenting nod. ‘Than let’s be off,” said the Cannibal. “We don’t want your services any more, old ehap,” he added, turning to the gardener: “so to you we say good bye.” (COL (C DOO CS (COL