The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 178: what you’re looking at

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

ee “Gee ee ee oe EE oS —~w . — Se 2 — - ee pe et —————— = See — eee CO —_ - tees i at he ES eo ®ve 1.0224 yw —_ — ae fe Ee THE MY6STERIES OF THE COURT. Burker, “I recollect perfectly that the idea was @ good ’un.” ‘“‘ In five words I will explain if over again,” interjected Mr. Bealby. “ My landlady knows that the mummy is going away this morhing ; and so she won’t be surprised to see tho large case sent out of the house. You must get into that case with the loast possible delay; and when Ben Lim- ber comes back and says that things are all right —I mean that no sort of suspicion attaches itself to this place—” ‘* Deuce a bit !—there’s no suspicion!” asid the Barker ; “ or else the police would be precious soon down uponus. But you was going to say what was to be done when that friend of yourn comes back.” “ He shall get a cart to put the case in: that case will contain you, my man; and then you can be conveyed out of London. That is all I can do for you: and I suppose that whenever you are freo in the open country id “You can leave me to shift for myself,” inter- jected the Burker. “ But there’s just one thing I should like to know: and this is———” “I think I understand what you mean,” said Bealby: “ there will be a driver to the cart, and you do not see how he is to be managed? Leave this to me. I shall go with him to pretend to sow him the way, and also to see that the mummy is carefully delivered. Don’t be under any apprehensivn as to the result.” _ “Not I indeed,” exclaimed the Burker, “now that I know you are going with the cart.” ‘Let us get to work,” said Bealby, “ before the servant girl comes in. You have done eating and drinking ?”’ The Burker answered in the affirmative. The mummy was taken out of the case and deposited in a trunk, where it was locked up. The case— which indeed was an old coffin, and of solid mate- rials, but having a giase door instead of a lid—was now laid flat upon the floor; and Bealby bade the Burker enter it. * But I shall want a bit of a disguise,” eaid Barney: “for it’s no use turning me adrift only helf-togred as I am: I should deuced soon be nabbed by the police.” ‘©T had sot forgotten all this,” replied Mr. Bealby: “but I meant to teke a disguise with me, #0 that you migbt pnt it on when emerging from the case. I thought it would make you too big to lie down in that box.” “ Well, what is it?” asked the Burker, sweeping his looks around upon the various articles aggre- gated in that museum. * What do you say to dressing yourself up as @ | poor Lascar sailor P” inquired Mr. Bealby. “ Here's ee ee —_- on ee Bae _— —_—_ wm eae eee eo ee wee ome ee — — em «bee —— 2 eee oe -— a costume—I have adye for your flesh —a dye also for your hair—and a thick bleck moustache. And then, too, a Lasear’s disguise has this advantago— that you may pretend to be dumb if you like, or else not to understand the English lenguage; so you won't be compelled to speak toa single soul that you may happen to encounter. If you don’t like that disguise, I can dress you up as the old Norwood Gipsy ” “What! asa o’oman?’ exclaimed the Barker. “No, no—none of that ’ere !”’ “ Hush! not so loud! We must not be heard talking in this room; because Iam supposed to be alone here.” Ll aa =] ewweasiep anaes —_— eee: Oa © eye, Ee 167 “Weil, I decide upon the Rascal sailor,” said the Burker. “The Lasoar sailor, you mean,” observed Bealby, with a smile. “TI des-say it’s all the same—Lascar or Rasea),” responded the Burker. “I think l’d rayther put on the disguise at once: I’m pretty sure as how I can stuff myself into that there box; and it will eave a world of trouble when we get to the place where you mean to let me out,” “‘Guod |” ejaculated Mr. Bealby. ‘‘ Make haste and apparel yourself. Here! let me assist at the toilet: it will only be the work of a few wi- nutes,” The archsological gentleman speedily produced a bottle of dye for the complexion, and which figured in the catalogue of his curiosities as an extracrdinary liquid which some newly discovered tribe of Central South America were accustomed to use for staining their skins. He next produced a hair dye, which also had its appropriate legend in the same catalogue, and which legend was about as true as the one attached to the first-mentioned pig- ment. These two dyes were speedily used with such effect that the Burker’s appearance underwent a complete transformation, which was rendered all the more perfeot by the jetty moustache, artistically affixed, and concealing the defect in the miscreant’s upper lip. The Lascar garb was assumed; and Mr. Barnes felt himself to be a new man. Benjamin Limber now returned, with a morning newepaper, in which there was a paragraph of only a few lines in respect to the Burker’s escape ; for the lateness of the hour at which it had us- gurred, prevented the penny-a-liner who reported it from entering more elaborately into detail. It recorded the bare fact,—with the addition that ia spite of all the efforts of the police the miscreaut had not been discovered up to the bour when that paragraph was wrilten— namely, at about one o'clock jn the morning. “Everybody is talking of it in Covent Garden Market,” observed Ben Limber; “and the general impression is that you, my man, muat have managed to get safe out of London. One thing is very oertain—the police are altogether off the scent: for telegraphic messages bave been dee spatohed along all the lines, and three or four dee teectives have gone off in different directions. This .te what I heard in Covent Garden; and se you sce your continued presence in the neighdourbood of the scene of your exploit is not suspected.” “All this is most favourable,” observed Bealby. “ And now, my man, into the bux with you, if you can stuff yourself in|” The giase front opened like a door, or iid: Beal. by raised it—and the Burker, assisted by Ben Limber, laid himeelf down in the cuffin-like case. He completely filled it; and he growlingly mut tered something about “having hie limbs precious welt cramped befure he got out of that cussed box again.” “ At all events it is better than dancing upoa nothing,” observed Ben Limber. Mr. Bealby broke out a small fragment of the glass in one corner of the lid, fur the purpuse of letting in the fresh airc then the lid was clused and securely latched. A quantity of old rusty green-baize was spread upon the floor; and while Ben Limber raised the head of the coffin-like box, “ fa SE | GOnNGIOOKSHeOn 1