The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 370: what you’re looking at

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

ANOTHER DARK PLOT 330 scription had been fished out of the Thames this evening. You can hint that he’s touched here,” continued the Beggar- man, tapping his forehead significantly; ‘“ and that you suppose he attempted to commit suicide in a fit of madness.” “T understand,” exclaimed Poll. ‘‘ Go on.” “Well, of course you'll be dreadfully afflicted, and the people at the Mariners’ Arms will feel very much for you. You'll insist on passing the night by the bedside of the dear man,’ continued the astute villain; ‘‘ and you'll have to force gruel, brandy and water, and what not, down his throat. Of course you’ll be alone with him — and a good dose of the Heir’s Friend will put him out of the way altogether,” added the Big Beggarman, sinking his voice to the lowest audible whisper, while his hideous countenance expressed all the diabolical significancy of his dark design. ‘‘ Now do you see my meaning, old gal? ” ‘I do,” answered Carrotty Poll, in an equally subdued and sombre tone. ‘‘ Anything more? ”’ “To be sure!’”’ resumed the miscreant, experiencing an infernal satisfaction at the evident approval which his proj- ect met at the hands of his daughter. ‘‘ Toward morning you'll alarm the whole house with your dreadful shrieks; the landlord and landlady will go rushing in, and your poor dear husband or brother will be no more. The doctor will be sent for; all attempts to restore him will be useless. He’ll hem and hah — ‘ consequences of immersion in water,’ and so forth; and then, for family reasons, you would rayther there shouldn’t be a inquest. A five-pound note will hush up the affair. You get a shell to-morrow, he’s put in it, you take him away to Briggs’s and before night he’s under- ground. Meagles and Lady Letitia may then go and inquire after him as much as they choose.”’ “ But what excuse shall you make for having locked ’em up till to-morrow night? ’”? demanded Poll. “Why, they can’t possibly couple my conduct toward them with this affair of Ramsey,” answered the Big Beggar- man; “ because they don’t suspect that you or I had any- thing to do with it. In fact, they don’t know who the man is, nor whether he came in the water by foul play, or ac- cident, or of his own accord. I shall therefore tell them that there was something in their manner I didn’t like; I thought it looked suspicious, and I was fearful they were laying a (C(O) A AY LO) (C(O)