The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 312: what you’re looking at

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

286 THE COURT OF LONDON at least until the morrow; and while revolving in his mind the different places where he thought he might lie hid, he remembered Taggarty’s chandlery shop on Mutton Hill, Clerkenwell. Issuing forth from the boozing-ken, he was proceeding in the direction of Clerkenwell, when he suddenly recollected the disinclination which Taggarty had evinced to harbour him on that occasion when he called there and met Sally and Dick Melmoth, after his escape from drowning in the Thames, at the time of the burglary at Mrs. Owen’s. ‘“ Bill Taggarty,’’ he said to himself, ‘‘ wouldn’t have me then, and it’s no use my going to him now. And yet he is very friendly with Dick and Sally. He brought them up, aS one may say, when he was the Kinchin-Grand, and therefore he wouldn’t mind going and letting them know that I have got into trouble and must see one of them as soon as possible.”’ Therefore, without any further hesitation, the Hangman pursued his way toward Mutton Hill, and shortly entered the little chandlery shop kept by William Taggarty. | This individual was seated in the small parlour behind the shop, but the moment the glazed door communicating with the street opened and the little bell tinkled, Taggarty came forth. “Hullo, Dan’el! is that you?” said the chandler, who, not knowing that anything was wrong, now seemed tolerably cordial in his welcome, although the Hangman was no great favourite of his; but it suited his purpose to keep on as good terms as possible with all those persons who were ac- quainted with his antecedents. “Yes, it’s me as large as life, Bill,’”’ returned the Hangman. ‘‘ But let’s step inside into your parlour, for I want to talk to you a bit.” Into the little room behind the shop did Taggarty accord- ingly lead the way, and producing his gin-bottle and glasses, he sat down, the Hangman already having thrown himself upon a seat. “Is anything the matter? ” asked the chandler, now observ- ing that there was a certain degree of trouble in Coffin’s looks. ‘“ Well, I can’t say things are quite as right as they should be,” responded the Hangman. ‘“ But when do you usually shut up this shop of yours? ”’ comicboo S (C(O)