The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 209: what you’re looking at

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eee en 200 and hand them over the money : for she has got no relations of her own.” * Ah, sir, it’s like your strict integrity !" ex- elaimed Mrs. Webber. “I heard of your character in Liverpool the day I applied for the situation; and all that was told me made me in- deed most anxious to get it.” e “You, yos, Mre. Webber,” resumed Pollard ; “the money shall be righteously dealt with. There it is,” he added, glancing towards the safe: then, instantaneously perceiving that he had inadver- tently let drop an admission which he was never in the habit of making to a soul—and into which he could only have been thus fed by his confidestce in his new housekeeper,—he hastened to say, “I mean the money is forthooming——not here, of course-———at the banker's!” “Oh, to be sure, sir! replied Mre. Webber: I know you keep very little ready money in the house; and for my part I tell Alice and the le that you never have any at all.” “ Ah, that’s right, my dear good Mrs. Webber !” exclaimed the old miser, his eyes glistening with satisfaction at the aesurance she had just given | w him, ‘“ And it’s quite true too! I don’t think I’ve got five shillings in the placc! No—I’m sure I have not!”—and thus speaking, Mr. Pol- lard drew forth from his pocket three-halfpence, a fourpenny-piece, a shilling,.and a sixpence,—all of which coins he displayed on the palm of his band, as if the production thereof were irrefraga- ble evidence of the truth of his statement. “ You hav'n’t seen this Mrs. Rayner for many years—bave you, sir?’ inquired the housekeeper. “Tt must be ten good years since I last saw her,” answered Pollard. “She was then a bit of a girl: bat I have heard that she grew up into a very fine handsome woman. I don’t suppose I could possibly recognise her; and for this very reason she is sure to bring the proper papers with her to prove her identity. And now. you under- atand why it is that I don’t believe the lady who was killed, can be Louisa, on: account of the ab- gence of all such corroborative documents about ber person, or in any box or trunk that might have béen supposed to belong to her.” Mrs. Webber now withdrew from her maater’s : bus instead of retiring to the kitchen, or to her own chamber, she issued forth from the back-door of the house, and entered the yard. This was surrounded by walls; and in the one at the extremity there was a gate communicating with a narrow alley. The instant Mre. Webber appeared upon the threshold of this back gate, she was joined by a man who had evidently been lurking in the lane. Not a syllable was spoken until the fellow entered the yard; and then, the gate being closed, he began ecaveating in an under-tone with “ Well, what news?” he inquired, eager! « Good, Barney,” was: the woman's response. “I have just succeeded in discovering that the old chap Aas got ® mint of money in the iron safe.” “Ah! you're a clever ‘un,” said the Burker, in a tone of admiring satisfaction: “you all along declared as how you wos conwinced the old fogey had his blunt in that there wery identical place. Then I s’pose you mean the tidy little job to be rae | MYSTERIES ( OF THE COURT. must find out her deceased husband's relations, | “ Yea—to-night,” answered Mrs. Webber. “ Is that lady come “No—and that’s why, after what I’ve learnt, the business must be for to-ni “Well, it's a reg’lar blessin’,” interjected the Burker, “ that you've made up your mind at last, arter all this here hesitating and dilly-dallying- which has kept me and Bill Scott all on the tenting-’ooks of suspense.” “Why, you seust understand, Barney,” said the treacherous housekeeper, “that. it was better to put off the business for a few days till I coubd obtain certain and positive information as to whether Pollard had got in the house the money -he has to pay to Mrs. . “ Yos—and with the ¢ that Mrs. Rayner would suddenly turn up,” growled the Barker, “ vecelve blunt, and walk off with it. It warn’t policy, marm—it warn't good Y “How absurdly you telk, Barney!” said Mrs. Webber angrily. “I tall you it was absolutely necessary to ascertain whether the old man really — kept enough in his hous to uf ne Well, and now you ve got ts of the matier;” rejoined the delectable Mr. Barnes,“ the business is to be done, right with no more humbugging delays. your sort, maxrm; and so we won’t have no argyficelion on the pint. I'm blest if pool business won’t be the ever put up to. Wasn anne it a lncky thing that Jack Smedley ahould have run i poo! dust arter that little bit i the Iedger-—and that he should have heerd tall of this old miser’s wanting a housekeeper. I’m blowed if it isn’t anough to make a cat or a helephant crack his precious tough sides to think how Pollard bit at them precious stiffikits which I “Well, well, Barney,” interrupted Mrs. Webber, “don't stand wasting precioys time here—bat bo off with you, and lay bold of Bill Scott, so as to. be punctual.” “ Bill’s handy enow, and as ready to lend a hand as he is to sqill his harf-an’-harf, or dewoar We all to bee SUPRA. And now teil us how it’s all to be.” A few whispered te were sottled between the treacherous woman and her villanous accomplice; and then they separated. But it struck Barney the Burker that as he emerged from the back gate, his gar caught @ sound as of some one away—and he farther conjec- tured that this some one was a female by the rustling of the garments. His keen eyes flung their piercing glances in the same direction: but. the alley was involved in total darkness—and he could therefore distinguish nothing. He now rushed forward along the lane: bat he overtook no one; and therefore endeavoured to persuade himself that he had either yielded to a false alarm, or elee that it was some person ing to an adjacent house ing forth on a message, and that the incident had no particular wignificancy to warrant his transient apprehensions. Still there was a certain vague misgiving in the mind of Barney the Burker; and ere he returned to tho done to-night ?”’ eee an OED fi EORAIClIOO© So (COL