The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 98: what you’re looking at

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

80 REYNOLDS’ WORKS tell Alice and the tradespeople that you never have any at all.” “ Ah, that’s right, my dear good Mrs. Webber,” exclaimed the old miser, his eyes glistening with satisfaction at the as- surance she had just given him. ‘ Andit’s quite true,too. I don’t think I’ve got five shillings in the place. No, I’m sure I have not,” and thus speaking, Mr. Pollard drew forth from his pocket three halfpence, a fourpenny-piece, a shilling- and a sixpence,— all of which coins he displayed on the palm of his hand, as if the production thereof were irref- ragable evidence of the truth of his statement. “You haven’t seen this Mrs. Rayner for many years, have you, sir?” inquired the housekeeper. ‘‘ Tt must be ten good years since I last saw her,’”’ answered Pollard. ‘‘ She was then a bit of a girl, but I have heard that she grew up into a very fine, handsome woman. I don’t suppose I could possibly recognize her, and for this very reason she is sure to bring the proper papers with her to prove her identity. And now you understand why it is that I don’t believe the lady who was killed can be Louisa, on account of the absence of all such corroborative documents about her person, or in any box or trunk that might have been supposed to belong to her.” | Mrs. Webber now withdrew from her master’s presence, but instead of retiring to the kitchen, or to her own chamber, she issued forth from the back door of the house, and entered the yard. This was surrounded by walls, and in the one at the extremity there was a gate communicating with a narrow alley. The instant Mrs. Webber appeared upon the threshold of this back gate, she was joined by a man who had evidently been lurking in the lane. Not a syllable was spoken until the fellow entered the yard, and then, the gate being closed, he began conversing in an undertone with Mrs. Webber. “‘ Well, what news? ”’ he inquired, eagerly. “Good, Barney,’’ was the woman’s response. ‘I have just succeeded in discovering that the old chap has got a mint of money in the iron safe.”’ ““ Ah! you’re a clever ’un,”’ said the Burker, in a tone of admiring satisfaction; “‘ you all along declared as how you wos conwinced the old fogey had his blunt in that there wery identical place. Then I s’pose you mean the tidy little job to be done to-night? ” CORMICOOOK