The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 34: what you’re looking at

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

EEE ence eee eR A ee ease aes Weet End of the town, he scraped acquaintance not only with inexperienced young gentlemen just enter- ing upon life, and whom he was sure to fleece most unmercifally,—but also with many dissipated no- blemen who visited those places of resort, and whom the Captain invariably claimed as acquaintances in future. If they were bold enough to give him the “cut direct,” he was certain to pick a quarrel with them; and if they even gave him “the cold shoul- der,” he would find some means of annoying them. They therefore preferred the less disagreeable alter- native of bestowing upon him a familiar nod when they encountered him in public; and thus the Cap- tain was enabled to boast of his numerous aristo- cratic acquaintances. But the thousand and one devices whish he put into practice in order to levy contribations upon his friends, were ingenious and humourous to a degree: and with a view to prevent the possibility of refusal when he thus made his pecuniary demands, he was wont to request a sum 60 moderate—often-times so ridiculously smali—that it was next to impossible for the individual whom he thus pounced upon to parry the attempted exaction with any feasible ex- cuse. By the aid, therefore, of half-a-crown from one, eighteen-pence from another, and a shilling from a third, the Captain contrived to live from hand to mouth and to rab on from day te day—although there were occasional intervals when he was very “hard up” indeed and when he was literally driven to hie wits’ end. - Such was Captain Rolando Tash—a gentleman whose name was notorious at every tavern, brothel, gaming-table, spenging-house, livery-stable, and place of public resort, in or near London, The King’s Bench and Fleet prisons likewise resounded with his fame; and every magistrate in the metro- polis had more than once been compelled to fine the Captain for being drunk and disorderly in the street; or to bind him over to keep the peace towards some individual in particular and al] his Majesty’s subjects in general. In fact, there was not:a promi- nent knocker at the West End which had not been wregched either partially or wholly off by the Captain’s hand at some time or another: there was not a surgeon’s bell which had not been violently and alarmingly rang on more occasions than one by this same hilarious Captain, when in his cups;— there was not a barber's pole which he had not shifted from its proper place to some neighbouring establishment which did not require any such em- blem at all;—and there was scarcely a street-watoh- man’s head which had not been broken at least once by this same unruly and incorrigible Captain Ro- lando Tash. Bach was the gentleman who from a tavern in the Knightsbridge Road just at the very moment when the Earl of Curzon issued forth from Acacia Cottage. But the Captain was not alone: indeed, he never was alone. That is to say, he invariably had an attendant following him at a respectful distance,—a sort of Man Friday or San- eho Pansa, who shared his fortunes and his mig- fortunes—his successes and his reverses—and who adhered to him with the staunchest fidelity. In fact, whoever beheld Captain Tash advancing with his usual swagger along the street, might be cer- tain that his man Robin was not very fer behind. There was however a great discrepancy between the pretensions, demeanour, and personal appear- a 2} ance of the two worthies : for inasmuch as the Cap- tain invariably looked and walked as if he fancied the street was not half wide enough for him and that everybody ought to make room and teach their hats as he passed, Robin on the contrary was wont to glide along the kerb. stone or creep by the side of the wall with the stealthy pace of a cat. Moreover, Robin was thin, lank, and lean in per- son—shaffiing and shambling in gait—downcast, fartive, and sneaking in looks—retiring and ap- parently timid in manner. Thus, great as the contrast was between the burly person of the mas- ter and the starveling appearance of the man, it was not greater than the difference between the insolent assurance of the former and the unob- trusive air of meekness which characterised the latter. Robin was not however exactly what he seemed in this respect. Beneath that bashfal and timid air, lurked a cunning watchfalness that was ever on the alert to take advantage of any circumstance that might be turned togood account. Keen, shrewd, and penetrating, Robin was always most upon his guard when he appeared most retiring : and when his looks seemed to express naught save a listless vacancy, he was sure to ta intent on some object requiring skill, tact, and caution to carry it out. More thoroughly un- principled than even hismaster—if that were possible —or at all events, capable of the prompt perform ance of deeds at the first aspect of which the Captain would pause and deliberate,— Robin was as dauger- ous as the creeping snake, whereas his employer wae like the bull that bellows and makes every one aware of its presence before it has time to do a mischief. The man Robin was pretty nigh the same age as his master, in whose service he had been for about a dozen years at the period when we thus introduce them to our readers. To the Captain he was de- votedly attached; and although circumstances had placed them rather on the footing of companions and friends, than of employer and servant, yet Robin invariably treated Tash with the utmost deference and respect. In fact, the tie which bound the sneaking, hypocritical, unprincipled Robin to the overbearing, insolent, and arrogant bully, was one of those mysterious phases in the human cha- racter which can only be accounted for by the belief that even the worst and vilest of eur species must have somebody or something to love and care for. Not that the Captain was unkind to his man; on the contrary, he treated him with as much con- sideration as it was in his nature to bestow—and OF THE COURT. ‘for any one to offend Robin, was to provoke the certain displeasure of his master. On the other hand, Robin woald have died rather than prove un- faithful to the Captain : and though he would have sold his own brother, if he had one, to the gibbet— or would have plucked an angel of his wings if the plumage were of any service to him,—yet was he incapable of injuring a hair of his master’s head. Such was the singular character of this man. His name was properly Robert Shanks; but he was always known as plain “Robin”—and so unae- customed was he to be addressed by bis surnama, that it was a wonder he did not forget it altogether. His apparel consisted of a seedy suit of black; and as he wore a white cravat, his appearance was as mach that of a decayed itinerant preacher as of a valet out-of-livery toa gentleman in straigitened circumstances. = a ee ee nena nnn enn nnn nn nL, COO eee WS eee —_, COMuicooOolk<s. corn