The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 100: what you’re looking at

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

78 THE COURT OF LONDON deck, where he was given in charge to the officer of ma- rines. Meantime all the boats were lowered, and lanterns were hung over the ship’s sides; and the marines on deck were prepared to fire at Melmoth should he, upon reappearing above the water, seem to have any chance of escaping from the galleys now rowing about in search of him. The tidings of his escape were communicated to the adjacent vessels and likewise to the shore; and that portion of the river became completely illuminated with the lanterns hung out by the shipping and along the wharves. But all these measures were vain and useless. James Melmoth reappeared not to the view of those who were thus hunting him with bloodhound eagerness; and the im- pression soon became general that he must have perished in his desperate attempt. Meagles shared in this belief, and great as his own afflictions were, he nevertheless had leisure and feeling enough to heave a sigh and drop a tear to the memory of the persecuted working man. . On the following morning, soon after sunrise, the Diana frigate weighed anchor; and, her white canvas filling with a strong and favourable wind, she stood gallantly down the river, bearing away, within the prisonage of her wooden walls, the once dashing, rollicking, intrepid, and adventure- loving Tim Meagles. GomilGbookss