The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 63: what you’re looking at

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

SSS 46 nineteen years back bad been wont to meet Chiffin the Cannibal and his desperate associates. This public-house was altogether of a character such as might be expected in such a region: it was in fact a boozing-ken of the lowest description, where the liquor was as poisonous as the morals of the company that frequented it. It was kept by an old couple called Patch,—the landlord’schristian name being Solomon, although it was not clear that he belonged to the Jewish race. These people had thriven and even grown rich in that place, not altogether by the sale of adulterated liquors, but by acting as recipients for the stolen goods brought thither by some of their principal customers. They likewise lent mouey at usurious interest; and indced it was proverbial that there was scarcely any means which Solomon Patch would hesitate to adopt in order to increase his gains. We are now about tc introduce our readers into the tap-room of the Billy Goat, on the even- ing of that same Sunday on which Lord Saxondale pursued his inquiries in the neighbourhood of Evergreen Villa, as described in the last chapter. It was about ten o’clock—the shutters were closed —a couple of candles stood upon the table in the tap-room, and the flame of their unsnuffed wicks seemed to burn dimly, like marsh-lights in a mist, through the haze of tobacco-smoke that filled the place. Seven or eight men were seated round the table, with long pipes in their mouths, and with pewter-pots or glasses in front of them. Three or four women were likewise present: and though the company was not very large, yet the noise they made was very great. They seemed all talking at once—some relating anecdotes, others disputing upon mooted points, and others indulging in boisterous shouts of laughter. The characters of all were written upon their countenances. If any one of this motley group had been placed in the dock of the Old Bailey, charged with an offence, no evidence as to respectability of character—even though all the bankers of Lombard Street could, for supposition’s sake, be brought forward to give such testimony—would have outweighed with the jury the still more positive evidence of the individual’s sinister looks. At the head of the table sat Chiffin the Canni- bal, who by acclamation had been voted into the chair to preside at the orgie. Though nineteen years had fled since we first introduced him to our readers, yet the lapse of time had effected no ' very striking change in his outward appearance, unless it were to stamp his features still more in- delibly thah in his younger days with the impress of ferocity and crime. Indeed, it were impossible to conceive a more finished air of ruffianism, or a more consummate aspect of cold-blooded bru- tality, than this dreadful mau presented to the view. His dress was of the same character as that which he was wont to wear when we first spoke of him—namely, a rough shaggy coat, a battered white hat with a rusty black crape twisted round it, corduroy trousers all greasy and stained, dirty stockings, and great clumsy shoes. His inseparable companion, a stout bludgeon, lay before him on the table; and in the deptlis of his capacious pockets were a couple of pistols, which THE MYSTERIES OF THE | ous noise,—his habit being rather of that sullen EOL he constautly kept loaded, Of all thecompany pre- , ‘apparel in giving a masculine air to the female sent—good heaven! such a company as it was— he alone abstained from much talking or uproari- COURT. reserve which usually belongs to the cruel and cold-blooded disposition. At the same time, he by no means discountenanced the hideous mirth and horrible hilarity that were going on around; and from time to time he expressed his approval of some obscene anecdote or desperate exploit by a grim smile, which enhanced rather than relaxed the dark ruffianism of his features, It was when the mirth aud jollity were at their highest, that the trampling of a horse’s hoofs sud- denly approachiug, and then stopping at the door of the public-huuse, reached the ears of the revel- lers in the taup-room; and one of the women ex- claimed, “ There’s Lady Bess!” “Oh! then she’s sure to order us a bowl of punch,” cried another of the females, clapping her hands joyfully. ‘“ Lady Bess always flashes her money about when she comes amongst us.” *‘ Yes—when she does,” growled Chiffin the Cannibal, in a deep bass voice that had some- thing cavern-like and sepulchral in its tones; ‘“ but how often#is it that she doescome? She’s a deuced sight too proud to suit me.” ‘* Ah! but if she’s proud she’s so generous,” at once rejoined the first female who had spoken. Chiffin was about to make sume farther obser- vation, when the door opened and in walked a person who at first sight would have been taken for one of the male sex, but whom on a nearer survey it was not very difficult to discover to bea woman in man’s apparel. For a female, she was of a commanding height, being at least five feet ten inches, and was remarkably though somewhat coarsely handsome. Her features were large but regular: her complexion was of a clear olive, and had the flush of excitement upon her cheeks. Her eyes were large, of the. deepest black, and strangely bright: they had an exceeding boldness in their glance, and could look any one full in the face—not frankly, but with a hardihood and audacity altogether unbecoming her sex. Yet her look was not that of wanton impudence nor of lustful passion, because it was fixed just the same upon every one who came for the first time within its reach—whether male or female, hand- some or ugly, old or young :—it was a look, in short, which seemed meaut to penetrate what- ever disguise the object of its scrutiny might wear or whatever thoughts were passing in the depths of the soul. It was a strange and over- bearing look—not only scrutinizing, but also full of a bold defiance, and as much as to say that though the possessor of those large dark eyes was a woman in sex, yet that she was a man in daring and in dauntlessness. Without being at all inclined to stoutness, her figure was largely and finely made—upright as the form of an amazon, without the slightest ap- pearance of that gentle inclination or stoop of the shoulders which belongs to feminine grace, and with an elevated carriage of the head which com- pleted her erect appearance. She was dressedin a handsome frock-coat, buttoned round the waist, but open at the bosom, so as to display the fine cambric shirt-front and the exquisite frill. This frill, by occupying as it were the interval be- tween the swell of the bosoms, concealed their fullness and thus aided the general effects of the wearer, The edges of a figured silk waistcoat ECORNICLOO _—.