The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 378: what you’re looking at

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

| THE MYSTERIES OF THE CounT. aa i ea ‘e “he i ."s — - ot =~ “ ~, . ot . as long to dig a grave in the yard es it did a mat. ter of twenty years back. But then I’m twenty years older!—and perhaps I ought to be thinking of who will dig my own grave? r he is, it won't be the same as the one who is to act as clerk : for when I am dead and the offices are to be separated. That I know for a fact. 1 shall look out for an assistant : the people die fast in this village, small as it is: but then there’s an aston- ishing number of old people here!’ It would really seem as if they had lived un with an understand. ing that when they all came $o a certain date they should die off as fast as possible. Yes—I will have an assistant.” _ Having arrived at this conclusion, Jonathan Carnabie slowly and deliberately drew forth from iis pealiah x tclaanhle flack; and it was also well filled, as the Burker could judge by the way in which the old man put it to his lips. The Mo. 47.— FOURTH SERIES. 869 Pineh = Z J ny 7 e al r Wy) iy, ve f / - i vs . ot rd # ao - ee et 7 "it a ae “VF. dranght he took was s moderate one: and then be consigned the flask back again to his pocket. “ Yes—an assistant |” resumed Jonathan in his audible musings: “it is all very fine to talk abous an assistant—but where is one to be found?. If I cast my eye over all the stout y chaps at Woodbridge and round about, I cannot think of one that will in any way do. None of them like old Jonathan, es I know the rascals call me-——— Heaven forgive me for using sush a strong term as rascals in achurch! But about the assistant—— where is he fo be found f” The old man pe and took ahother small draught from his flask, as 1f he ht it would sharpen his intellects and help on his reflections. But now there were two circumstances which had se- quired a peculiar interest for Mr. Barnes, whose countenance was cooling iteelf against the irom bar of the window. fires was thas —ee Qe... —»_ een * an DOO