The Mysteries of London; or, Lights and Shadows of London Life — page 101: what you’re looking at

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

——- -_- LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF LONDON LIFE, 95 mmm asm cm eum a ee “ Better than that,” was the reply; “I shall make | know the places that would answer their purpose, I her draw some wealthy fool or other into a snare that I can find a way to turn to a pretty profitable account. But enough of this,” he added, with an oath, “! am ‘not going to let you into the whole secret ; so tell me at once whether you will agree to take what I offered, and do what I want; or am I to take myself and my rs elsewhere ?” “You would seek far before you found one who “answered your purpose better,” cried Borelli; “and now listen tome. I am ready to swear, if necessary, that hag ieee that I was with you when you got the child received into the asylum as an orphan ; and that you removed her as you did becanse you had no means of previding for her till then, and felt a dislike to confess the trick you had played in getting her thus taken care of during her youth. Well, all this, with the rest of the lesson you wrote down for ae that I shall get by heart against it’s wanted, be done; and now I want to know, in my turn, you have forgotten a certain proposal ef my own, \d which I spoke to you about at the same time?” “What the little affair at Lord Walsingham’s?” “Tobe sure. You tell me that you owe his lord- ship a grudge for old scores, and this will give you a capital opportunity for rubbing them off. You can revenge on him and benefit yourself together.” “Tt is rather out of my way,” said the Italian, hesi- » “and with any other man I should give up the idea of it at once; but there are reasvns in this case that urge me to enter into the matter you pro- pose. Why, however, was I selected to be the one to run all the danger?” “Danger!” returned Borelli, with a sneer; ‘‘ you seem to have grown mighty careful of yourself since you have come back to London, and turned swell- mobsman on your own account! I remember the time when you thought cutting a traveller’s throat the shortest way to his pockets; but I suppose, since you have been a courier, you have got too respeetable for any thing else but a quiet swindle in a billiard- room, or a sly touch at pocket-picking under the Quadrant.” — - 1! “You know my temper,” said the other, with a fierce look, “‘and had better not ruffle it. Answer my question, and leave me to act as I think proper.” “No need of ill words between old comrades,” re- joined Antonio, proffering what remained of the liquor; “for you and I to have a fall out would be to show no wisdom on either side, so if I have angered you by what-I said, I am sorry for it, and there’s an end. Now to business. You guessed, of course, that when I went into this line and bought the stock in trade of ‘my predecessor, I had some other object in view than the mere letting out of the trumpery organs, and the profits brought back by the knaves I _ have got with me.” “You told me so when we first met,” answered the Italian, impatiently, “and that you had a regular understanding with a certain gang to furnish informa- tion of those houses that would repay them for forcing pal: opr Daas what has that to do with the present » _ Every thing,” was the rejoinder ; “ it was through that very circumstance I got hold of the intelligence I mentioned to you,’’ “Indeed!” ejaculated his hearer, again drawing “ Whi, if it wasn’t for us there wouldn’t be half, the cribs cracked that there are,” continued Borelli, using the jargon of his craft. “ When I want to _—— —~——saete ee : =: tee -_ > -- — ———- a -——_ =< set my boy Jacopo to work, and a knowing one he is. He makes it his business to go round into the suburbs, and see those houses that have got plenty of furniture and plate inside, and then he tells me how many men are likely to be there to protect it. He gets into the gardens, you see, and whilst he is grinding his organ and dancing to the children that come clustering about the windows, he keeps his eyes on the fastenings, and sees how the shutters are secured, and what sort of folks they are. If he says the thing is worth while, [ have got a woman with china to go round after hita, and take the impression of the locks in wax whilst she is bargaining with the servants for old clothes in ex- change; and then a clever cracksman does the busi- ness, and I go halves in the booty.” “And this lad, then, has put you up to the very scheme we have been talking about—eh ?” pursued the Italian, interrogatively. “To be sure he has; and instead of doing as I have done before, he had no sooner mentioned the name of the nobleman it belonged to, than it struck me after you had gone that you would like to have a share in this chance yourself, and that we could then keep the secret quiet between us?” “And the valuables, I suppose, are to be easily carried off?” “The thing ean be done almost blindfold,” said Borelli; “ Jacopo, who by the way is the only one 1 trust in this line, for the rest are so stupid or 80 scrupulous that I can’t make them understand, has told me that when once yeu get through the gates that are down a turning from the Fulham road, the rest of the work is easy. The windows open on to the lawn, and in the very first room you get into, there is enough to pay a fellow for the trouble he takes, if he goes no further. You see it is a sort of thing I can’t very well undertake myself, for Iam obliged to remain here at night to keep matters straight in my own way.” “So that you want me to manage the whole of it, without assistance ?” “ Why, you can have Jacopo with you, if you like; but if any of the gang I am doing business with hap- pen to know it, the affair will be blown, and I shall ver; likely get into some trouble with them in con- sequence.” | « Enough,” answered the Italian, after a pause; “I will doit, and alone. You were right tu keep it to ourselves, I see the way to make this prove a rare harvest for both of us. Is the establishment of Lord Walsingham at present numerous?” * You shail learn that from the boy’s own lips,” re- plied Borelli: “ he hasn’t gone on his beat to-day, for { wanted him in another quarter, and I expect his return every minute. But this much I can tell you, that if we let a few days go over the servants may be less, but it’s a chance if the booty don’t get smaller too, for there is some talk, I hear, of his lordship going down to his country seat in Devonshire,” “Tt shall be done at once,” returned the other; “the night after to-morrow at the farthest.” “ Well, I am glad to see you feel so warm about it, after all; and now we have made matters pleasant and comfortable in that way, I should not be thought very curious, I suppose, if I asked the name you pa- tronise just now—for I shouldn’t wonder if you found the old one was not exactly suited to your com- plexion ?” “You are right there,” muttered the Italian; “bat it signifies little what you choose to call me, only ——— er re ee _-————— os — ECORNICLO@O <S (E(@)