The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 267: what you’re looking at

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

THE MYSTERIES “Treat us to a glass of wine,’ said one:/| “ there’s a dear fellow !” “Or what is better, come home with us,” ex- claimed another, “and we'll send out for the wine.” It naturally struck the two gentlemen that this was the sort of scene to which the constable had alluded when he had said that they would be enabled to judge for themselves whether their desired object would be forwarded in this alley to which he had directed them. They therefore made up their minds simultaneously, and as if by tacit understanding, to accompany the girls: but they pretended to hesitate in a tipsy manner for some little time before they gave a final assent. At length they moved slowly along in the direction whither a couple of the flauntingly apparelled creatures led them; and a glance over their shoul- ders showed that there was a move amongst the flashily dressed men in front of the public-houses. The girls conducted them to the farther extremity of the alley, where they stopped at the door of a house of considerable size in comparison with the others in the same neighbourhood. One of the girls knocked at the door in @ manner that was evidently peculiar, and therefore intended to serve as a signal—but which would not have been noticed if the two officers were really in their cups, as they pretended to be. The summons was answered by a tawdrily dressed elderly woman, in a gown of rusty black silk, a cap flaunting with pink ribbons, and with a gold chain—or at least a very good imitation of one—hanging over her enormously protruberant bust. Her naturally rubicund countenance had upon it a still deeper flush, produced by recent potations; and she sim- pered and smiled with an air of half-tipsy vacancy. She bade the gentlemen walk in,—whisperingly asking whether they chose to be accommodated with separate chambers at once P “We are going to drink a bottle of wine first,” answered Captain Stanley, who did not consider it expedient to be parted from his companion. “By all means!” said the mistress of the establishment: and she led the way into a back parlour of some dimensions and tolerably well fur- nished. The two girls who had accompanied the officers, flung off their bonnets and shawls; and Captain Stanley, still preserving his tipsy air, tossed a couple of sovereigns upon the table, desiring that wine might be fetched. An elderly servant-woman entered the room to receive the order from the mistress of the establishment, who had likewise seated herself there; and after a few minutes’ absence she returned with a couple of bottles of wine. She handed all the balance of the money to Mother Bambridge—as the mistress was called— and which sum of thirty shillings Mother Bam- bridge coolly consigned to her own pocket. Glasses were placed upon the table: but both Stanley and Meredith were careful not to touch a drop of the wine until they had first seen Mother Bambridge and the girls empty their own glasses. Being thus satisfied that the liquor was not previously drugged, the two officers began to drink in order to keep up appearances; and they likewise chatted away as if in a reckless strain of dissipated hilarity. Half-an-hour passed; and the gentlemen began OF THE COURT. ———_— a +> to think that they had got into the midst of some adventure that was quite different from what the advising constable had anticipated, and that it was by no means of a nature to throw them in the way of the attainment of their object. But all of a sudden something was said by one of the girls, which turned all their thoughts into a new chan- nel. “This sherry is capital!” were the words thus spoken. ‘ Wouldn’t poor Barney like a glass ?” Rapid was the deprecating glance which Mother Bambridge flung upon the girl, as much as to give her to understand that she should not have men- tioned a name which might possibly be recognised by the two gentlemen in connexion with the newspaper report of the previous day’s trial at Liverpool: and then, with a simpering air, she said to Meredith and Stanley, “It’s a poor dear invalid brother of mine that the kind-hearted young lady is alluding to; and with your permis- sion I will just step up-stairs to him with a glass of this wine, which is sure to do him good.” “ By all means!” exclaimed Lord Charles, now looking more tipsy than ever; “and send out to get us a fresh supply.” Thus speaking, he in his turn tossed from a well-filled purse a couple of sovereigns upon the table; and Mother Bambridge, having given a suitable order to the servant, poured out a glass of wine, and therewith quitted the room. The reader will comprehend the significancy conveyed by the words of the girl who had recommended the wine to be carried up to the man whom she had named. It was to afford Mrs. Bambridge a feasible pretext for leaving the room in order to make whatsoever arrangements she might deem necessary for the plunder of her guests—and all this without the risk, as it was hoped, of exciting their suspicions. Meredith and Stanley penetrated the manceuvre promptly and clearly enough: but affecting to become more and more influenced by the effects of liquor, they played their game so admirably as to prevent the slightest misgiving from entering the minds of the two girls. The name of Barney had been unmistakably pro- nounced; and as it was not altogether a common one, and was precisely the familiar appellation by which the principal object of their search was known—moreover, as it was in some such low neighbourhood as this that they had hoped and expected to fall in with him—and likewise as Mother Bambridge’s look of warning significancy must be taken into account,—they were morally certain that the individual alluded to was he whom they sought. But there were evidently a number of desperate charactcrs about—succour would be promptly at hand—the utmost caution must be used ; and thus they could not instantaneously adopt any measure towards accomplishing his cap- ture. Sudden violence on their part might fail: and therefore they must wait yet a little while and trust to circumstances. But we must observe that all the time Mother Bambridge was absent, Stanley listened attentively to catch the sounds of her footsteps—though he appeared to drink as if being intent on nothing of the sort. The girls dropped several hints about retiring : but it by no means suited the two gentlemen’s views to be separated; and moreover they had an excellent excuse for remaining where they were, MICLOOOK<S (C(O) (C@)