The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 269: what you’re looking at

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THE MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. 9 Vv 26 “No. As we have commenced the business by | “ No—I have not forgotten it,’ responded Stan- ourselves,” answered Stanley, “we will have the | ley: and drawing forth his pocket-book from the satisfaction of carrying it out. Listen, Meredith! | breast of his under-coat, he displayed a roil of We have excellent reason to believe that the vil- | bank-notes. Jain Barney is in that house—and what is more, that he is in the room precisely above that where we were seated: for I waaattentive to the sounds of Mother Bambridge’s footsteps when she went up with the wine. These are great points gained —and far more than we could have expected as the result of the first night’s search. But the first night’s search shall be the last—or I am very much mistaken. I see that you do not understand me. Let us turn into this street; it is the one behind the alley from which we have emerged.” **And your reason for letting us be robbed so quietly P” inquired Lord Charles. “Those bullies were evidently brought in to pounce upon us suddenly when Mother Bam- bridge hoped to persuade us to go up-stairs to bed. if, an attack being made, we had resisted them, we should have shown ourselves to be sober ; and whether conquerors or conquered, the sus- picion which our behaviour had already excited, would have been confirmed. The wretches would have felt convinced that we had an ulterior ob- ject: perhaps they would have supposed that we were looking for Barney: but at all events for security’s sake they would quickly have got him off to some other lurking-hole. As it is, all sus- picion is completely set at rest: they flatter them- elves they had to do with a couple of gentlemen who were really tipsy; and rest assured that having watched us out of the alley, they are lulled into the completest security. Such is the result of our having suffered ourselves to be robbed so quietly, as you express it.” _ “And what do you think Mother Bambridge went up-stairs fur to the villain’s room? or how ean you tell that it was his room at all ?”’ asked the nobleman. “Of course I can but surmise,’ responded Stanley; “and upon this surmise we must act. She doubtless went up to him to bid him be in readiness in ease his services should be required to help in dealing with us. When she went out the second time to fetch in the bullies, it was really to the front parlour she proceeded: for I listened to the course that her footsteps took.” “Now, what is your plan?’ inquired Lord Charles Meredith. Captain Stanley rapidly explained it; and his noble friend unhesitatingly agreed to succour him in carrying it out. The little colloquy that we have described, brought them to the extremity of the narrow street which they had entered, and which ran parallel to the alley. A very few minutes’ obser- vation showed them that the house which was im- | mediately behind Mother Bambridge’s establish- / ment, was a small chandlery-shop; and Stanley observed to his noble friend, “This is all the | better for our purpose; because a money-making tradesman of a mean and peddling description will forgive us for awakening him if we slip a five- | pound note into his hand.” “ I do verily believe, my dear fellow,” answered Lord Charles, “ that you have forgotten the little circumstance of our purses being left behind in | the adjacent alley.” They now knocked at the door of the chandlery- shop; and in a few minutes a head with a cotton- night-cap on, was thrust from an upper window, The owner of the head and the night-cap was about to give vent to his indignation at being knocked up by a couple of rakes, as he thought, out upon their nocturnal frolics: but a few quickly uttered words from Captain Stanley’s lips, an the display of a bank-note, made a prompt change in the man’s temper. He drew in his head—shut down the window—and in a couple of minutes appeared at his shop-door,—having just huddled ona sufliciency of clothing for decency’s sake. He admitted the two officers, and then inquired their business. Captain Stanley, closing the door of the shop, put the five-pound note into the man’s hand ; and said to him, “ Don’t be alarmed—and don’t ask any unnecessary questions: but we want, in the first place, to peep through one of the back win- dows of your dwelling.” The chandler, who was an active, bustling, eccen- tric little man, stared in amazement at this re- quest; and recurring to his former opinion that the whole proceeding was an impudent frolic, he examined the note, expecting to find that it issued from the Bank of Elegance instead of the Bank of England. On discovering however that it was really genuine, he became perfectly civil once more; and thinking he had better humour his two customers, whatever their object might be— if indeed they had any at all—he conducted them into his little parlour, which was behind the shop, There was an outside shutter to the window; and the prismatic rays of the morning light—for it was the middle of the month of June—penetrated through a heart-shaped hole in that shutter. By means of this hole Stanley was enabled to take his survey of the rear of the chandler’s dwelling. There was a little yard separated by a low wall from a larger yatd which belonged to Mother Bam- bridge’s establishment: at every one of the back windows of that establishment the blinds were drawn down; and therefore it was reasonable to suppose that the inmates had retired to rest, well contented with their spoil in the shape of handsome watches, massive chains, and well-filled purses. “ Have you got a ladder?” inquired Stanley of the chandler. | The volatile little man made one bound of aston- ishment at this question so abruptly put ; and then he looked dismayed as tlie idea flashed to his mind that he had to do with two lunatics just escaped from an asylum. The two supposed lunatigs could not help smiling at these variations of expression on the chandler’s countenance; and Stanley, pers ceiving the necessity of giving some sort of expla- nation, addressed him as follows :— “ My good fellow, I need not tell you that the place which we see opposite is a den of infamy. and my companion have just beem robbed there; and we mean to get in by some means or another, to compel the wretches to disgorge their plunder. Now wil] you assist us—or will you not ?” “Ah, that I cheerfully will!” exclaimed the - was wettest lees a RRA ic ns i ne gle Sar iMICOOOMKS4 EO (COUMUC