The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 175: what you’re looking at

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

a THR MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. 164 ° accepting a loan from that murderer-fellow who was examined this afternoon at the cflice a few doors off.” “Which means,” observed ifr. Limber appro- ‘vingly, “ that you don’t mind where the deuce the money comes from, so long as it does come some- how or another.” ‘You've just hitit, Ben,” answered Mr. Bealby. ‘ Well then, genelmen,” a voice was suddenly heard te'say, “I thinks as how I can accommodate ou.” It would be impossible to describe the alarm which suddenly seised upon Mr. Bealby and Mr. Limber, as this strange, course, uncouth voice met their ears. But with the archeological gentle- man this terror was transient enough—whereas with his more timid friend it assumed a most ludi- crous aspect. With a ghastly pale countenance, and quivering in every limb, he looked towards the skeleton: thence his affrighted glances travelled to the mummy : and he knew not from which the voice proceeded, though he was firmly impressed with the conviction that from one or the other of those sources did it emanate. Mr. Bealby started up ¢> see what the trath might really be, and what intruder had found his way into his museum, —when the Barker, thinking that the lapse of nearly half a minute was sufficient to prepare the gentlemen for his appearance, slowly emerged from his hiding-place. “Who the devil are you?” demanded Mr. Bealby, not exactly perceiving sufficient of the in- dividual’s appearance to make him suspect who he might possibly be: for there was but o1s candle in the room, and this was barning dimly. “'Yes—who the devil are you P” echoed Mr. Limber, snatching up a tomahawk with one hand and a Roman pipkin in the other. ' “I’m a chap as can let you genelmen have the little matter of thirty pound which y oseems to stand in need of :”—and as ‘the Burker spoke, he advanced nesrer towards the table. “A Jew!” ejaculated Bealby. “ And yet he is not a Jew!—Ah!” and a sudden suspicion flashed to his mind. “A Jew—and not a Jow P” echoed Mr. Limber, at the same time smitten with the same thought : and then he shuddered, and his teeth chattered, at the idea that he found himeelf in the presence of the terrible Barney the Burker. * “ Now, genelmen, just keep your tongues quiet,” said the Barker hastily; “and it will be all the better for you as well as for me. I’m just what you take me for: but here's the thirty pound you say you want and that you don’t care arap whence it comes from. In return for this, what I require is your assistance to help me to escape.” Limber sank with a hollow moan upon a chair, the tomahawk dropping from his hand on one side, the Roman pipkin on the other. He looked aghast. But Bealby was by no means affected iu the same sense; and he hastened to say, “Don’t be a fool, Limber. What is it to us who this fellow is? There’s the blunt—and that’s all we care for. Come, Ben,” he added, going straight up to his friend and clutching him by the wrist, “don’t be a fool, I say! He can’t eat us—he doesn’t want to do us any harm; and if he did, we are two to one.” These words, hurriedly and whisperingly spoken, produced a speedy effect upon Ben Limber: they inspired him with courage —for a coward invariably derives a reassuring sensation from the fortitude displayed by a braver companion. Starting up to his feet, he exclaimed, “ Well, what can we do?” “You have escaped, I suppose,” said Bealby, turning quickly towards the Burker. “But how did you get in here ?” “I’ve broke out of the cell—I climbed up a pipe—I got to the roof of this house—I crept in at the attic———” “ Ah! the noise just now upon the stairs [” ejac- ulated Limber. “To be sare!” rejoined the Barker: “that was me. I didn’t know how to get out of the house: I was afeard of wenturing into the street, cos why it’s infested by them ere waggabones of bluebottles. So I listened at your door—I heard a good deal of what you was saying to each other—I found yoa was the right sort of chaps to help a poor devil in a dificulty—I bided my time—you went out to get more lush—and then Bat, by your leave, talking of lush ” And the Burker, pouring a quantity of gin into a tumbler, drank it off at a draught,—his eyes scarcely watering, so acoustomed was he to the potent alcoholic fiuid. “ How can we get the man out?” asked Limber of his friend. “ How long ago wasit you escaped from your cell P” demanded’ Bealby quickly. “A matter of three quarters of an hour,” re- sponded the Burker; “and there's every minute a chance of the discovery being made. If eo, as for going out into the street unless unkimmon well disguised But fust of all give us some hot water to get off this cussed beard.” “Yes, at once!” anewered Bealby. “ Now I tell you what must be done. Ben my boy, etick your cigar in your mouth—go and saunter down the street towards the police-office and the station —see if there's anything strange going on———= But stop one moment!” Mr. Bealby rushed to the window—drew aside the blinds—and looked through the panes. All seems quiet,” he continued, retarning from the window; “but we had better make sure. You go, Ben, as I have just said, and keep out for twenty minutes or eo———that is to say, supposing you see nothing in the meantime that looks sus- picious. But if there is, then come back directly and tell us.” Mr. Limber accordingly lighted his cigar— stuck his hat upon his head with a jaunty, rakish, independent air—and flourishing his short cane (of the true gentish description) was about to iesue from the room when the Burker suddenly placed hia back against the door, saying in his graff voice, “This is all wery well: but how the deuce do I know what’s the trae meaning of the move P” “JT anderstand you,’ observed Mr. Bealby, now assuming a decisive look and tone. “ You think we mean to betray you. Very well—take up your bank-notes and be off.” “Come, come,” said the Burker, “it wasn’t *andsome on my part—I must confess it wasn’t.” “ You know,” rejoined Bealby, “ that if we chose to open this window and raise an alarm, your cap~ ture would be certain.” “ Beg pardon, genelmen, for my rudeness,” said CO LTO EO NOG (G (CO