The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 324: what you’re looking at

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

298 THE COURT OF LONDON and her brother. On former occasions when he had been in trouble, were they not always faithful? And on this present occasion had not Sally Melmoth done her best to seek him out at Jacob’s Island and give him timely warning? And had she not wept, too, just now in his presence? Ah! all that was well and good, but the Hangman felt that he also would play the hypocrite where he meant to become the traitor, and that he would lull into a false security any individual whom he intended to make a victim. Now that his fears were so terribly active, they speedily took a wider range, and he thought to himself that even if Sally Melmoth and her brother Dick should prove faithful, what guarantee had he for similar fidelity on the part of Jeremy Humpage? “The old villain,” said the Hangman to himself, ‘‘ knows that it is all up with me now, so far as continuing in London is concerned. He is aware that I can never be of any service to him again, and that I shall bring nothing more to his melting-pot. Then, what regard can he have for me? Everybody knows that these cursed old fences are the most treacherous scoundrels in existence, and often send their pals, when completely done up and no longer useful, to the scaffold, just as a landowner sends his worn-out labourers to the workhouse. Besides, when I come to think of it, what possible fear can old Jeremy stand in of me? If he gave me up to justice and I was to turn around upon him, denouncing him as an old fence, I should only be telling what Larry Sampson and every constable in London know very well already. But the proof, ay, the proof, that’s it. For to show that he is a receiver of stolen goods, something that has been stolen must be found on his premises. Of course old Jeremy knows all this, and is well aware that he is not in my power. He is too wide awake to be in the power of anybody. Then why shouldn’t he give me up? He is en- dangering himself by letting me stay here. This really would put him in the reach of the law. There’s another thing, too. Perhaps old Jeremy wouldn’t mind propitiating Larry Sampson by such an important service as handing me over to his keeping. Yes, by Satan! I am surrounded by dangers. In fact, I feel as if my case was desperate; it’s a sort of crisis, I know it is, I am sure of it. Was there ever a fellow who had done such things as I have that didn’t get COMmiclooo S (C(O) im