The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 212: what you’re looking at

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

186 THE COURT OF LONDON ‘‘ A savoury mess, such as Ichabod loveth,”’ moaned Mr. Paxwax. ‘“ But I always puts an ing’un into the gravy, please your washup,”’ continued Mrs. Piggleberry, ‘‘ and if your washup will only tell your cook the next time — ” “The ten-pound note,’ exclaimed the magistrate, im- patiently. ‘‘ This is not a case of liver and bacon, my good woman.” ‘“No more it isn’t,” said Mrs. Piggleberry, seriously; though with a dubious look and mystic shake of her head, as if she were not quite sure that the dish in question had not something to do with the matter. ‘ Well, your washup, I gave the girl the ten-pound note — ”’ “And I gave it to Mr. Snea-eks-by,’”’ said Ann Jones, whimpering. “ It was agreed that I should leave home and go and live at his new house after a little while; but I wasn’t to follow him directly, for fear that mother and father and aunt should suspect where I’d gone. But when I got the ten pounds, I thought it was the best time to go to him, as I could keep the money to buy clothes with. But I didn’t buy clothes, for Mr. Sneaksby was very short at the time, and when he knew that I had the note he asked me to give it to him. He said the Lord had need of it.” ‘Oh, Ann, thou canst not say that I took thy shekels of gold!’’ observed the reverend gentleman, with a solemn shake of the head, and an awful elongation of the countenance. ““ Nor the shekels of silver,’ added Paxwax, in a sombre tone. ‘ ‘Yes, you did, though,” cried Ann, tartly; ‘‘ and you both got so tipsy the same night that I was ashamed of you. But these two fellows, your worship, were always drinking; and they sdmetimes used me very badly. I should have run away from them, only I’d no place to go to, for I didn’t dare return home. And now that everything has come out at last, I don’t mind telling all I know of them. They’re a scandalous pair of impostors, and that’s what they are,” added Miss Jones, working herself up into a fury. ‘“‘ Sister Ann, sister Ann,” exclaimed Mr. Sneaksby, shak- ing his forefinger at the young woman, “ thou wilt repent of this ingratitude to one who hath been a kind master and a loving brother unto thee! ”’ | ‘“Oh! do send him to prison, your worship,” cried the Gomicboo “S m