The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 41: what you’re looking at

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

A | was heaped up in one corner ; and raising a trap- door, she commenced the descent of a flight of , steps, bidding the commercial traveller to follow her He obeyed; but at this instant it struck him that | should the Mage:nan suspect his treacherous pur- | pose and seek to do him a mischief, how could he possibly summon the Bow Street Officers to his | assistauce ?—how were they to learn whither he _ had been conducted ? i Again did a cold tremor come over him: but ex- | pericucing a full sense of the necessity of maintain- ing his presence of mind, he summoned al! his courage to ais aid, and followed the woman with a firm step. i At the bottom of the stairs she threw open a door; and in another moment the commercial tra- veller was introduced into the presence of Joe the . Magsman. | This redoubtable individual was seated in a small chamber, fornished in a far more comfortable style than the other portions of the house which Page had as yet seen; and the bed, which stood in an alcove, or deep recess, was clean and neat in ap- pearance. The walls were papered: there was a .; thick curtain over the small window ;—and a piece of carpet was stretched upon the floor. The Magsman was about forty years of age,—very tall—powerfully built—and remarkably broad across the shoulders. But his countenance was precisely that which a novelist would describe or an artist depict as belonging to a villain of the most desperate character. His coal-black hair was rough and coarse: his brows were thick and long, overhanging small and restless eyes ;—and his bushy whiskers en- oroached on his face even to the cheek bones. He was dressed in a shabby and negligent manner; and when Page was introduced by the Gallows’ Widow into his presence, he was lounging in an arm-chair smoking a pipe. “Ah! my fine fellow,” he exclaimed, the moment the commercial traveller stood before him : “ I needn't ask who you are—for I had a pretty good glimpse of your face last night in the lane. Sit down, my boy —and let us know what has brought you here. Lizzy my dear,” he added, turning towards the Gallows’ Widow, “put the bingo out upon the table.” The woman produced a bottle of brandy and some glasses from a cupboard, and then took a seat near ner paramour. “I suppose it’s all right about the pocket-book ?” said the Magsman. “‘Yes—and here is the money,” returned the Gal- which he tossed upon the bed. “This gentleman wishes some particular business to be done—and that is why I brought him. The heard his story; and we agreed that he might be introduced to you without farther delay.” “And what is the nature of the business?” de- manded the man. Page forthwith repeated the same tale which he had already narrated in the parlour below; and the robber listened attentively. “ Well—what do you "think of this, Lizzy?” he said, turning towards his mistress, when Page had done speaking. “T think that it is all straightforward enough; or alan I should not have brought him up here,” was a a ta i eee 2 er ‘the answer. “I must however observe that 1 did entertain certain suspicions before we entered the house; for, according to my usual custom when bringing a stranger here, I stopped and made this gentleman stop also in a dark place just to ascertain whether any body in the shape of an officer was dog- ging us. Three men passed by, one after another, and at short intervals ; but it was too dark to form an idea what they were. They however all three turned into Horslydown: and I confess that I didn’t like it. But it might have been a false alarm on my part; and the conduct of this gentleman has since mnade me think it was.” While the Gallows’ Widow was speaking, the Mageman’s eyes were fixed not exactly suspiciously —but searchingly—upon the commercial traveller, who sustained this steadfast, scrutinizing gaze with- out wincing. The Magsman seemed satisfied; and Mr. Page, perceiving that the result was in his favour, felt more at ease. “ And how do you propose to carry this business into execution ?” demanded the robber, after sipping his brandy-and-water in a leisurely way. “ Hodson and Morley’s place of business is in Wood Street, as you know already,’ answered Page, “ and Hodson lives on the premises.” “ How many men are there in the house at night interrupted the thief. “ Three,” was the response: “ Hodson—a man- servant—and the porter, who sleeps in the kitchen, a bed being made up for him on purpose.” “ And of course he has fire-arms within reach f” “Not that I know of. But there’s a watchman in the street all night: heis paid by the inhabitants.” “ And therefore he walks up and down,” observed the Magsman : “so that while he’s at one part of the street, we can be commencing operations in an- other.” “ Exactly so,” answered Page. “The cash-box is kept in an iron safe let into the wall in the counting- house, which isin the back ware-room ; and there will be some trouble in picking the lock of that safe.” “Leave the matter to me,” said the Magsman, in a tone of confidence. “D’ye think I'll have much trouble in opening it, Lizzy—eh ?”” he demanded, turning with a chuckle towards his mistress. “Not much, Joe,” she replied, langhing in a low quiet manner which did Page harm to hear it: for he fancied that a woman who could laugh in that strange way, was capabdle of any atrocity—there was something so unnatural in it! “ Where ought the entrance into the house to be attempted?” demanded the Magsman, after a brief ows’ Widow, handing the ruffian the bag of gold | pause “ That is the difficulty '” exclaimed the commer- clal traveller, assuming a tone of vexation. “The front-door is precious strong and well chained and bolted ; and the shutters to the warehouse-window are not a very insignificant barrier. If there was much noise made, the porter would be sure to wake up down-stairs.” “And there’s no means of getting in at the back ?” asked the robber. “None that I know of,” replied Page, purposely avoiding the creation of a suspicion by repre- senting the business as one that had few difficulties in the way. “Well—it must be attempted in front, then,” said the Magaman. “ We must manage to get down COMNGBOOKS Gon