The String of Pearls; or, The Barber of Fleet Street — page 307: what you’re looking at

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

THE SfRING OF PEARLS. 299 great coat on him, merged from behind a column that lent its support to a door- way. ‘¢ Here you is,” said the man. “Ts all right, Crotchet ?” said Sir Richard. ‘¢Yes; everything is quiet enough. Nota blessed mouse hasn't wagged his tail or smoothened his whiskers for the last half hour or so.”’ ‘‘ Very good, Crotchet. I’m afraid, though, 1 cannot dismiss you just yet, as the business is very important.” ‘What's the odds,” said Crotchet, “as long as you are happy?” Sir Richard Bluat smiled, as he added— ‘‘ Well, Crotchet, you deserve, and you shall have an ample reward for the services you are doing and have done, in this affair. I and some gentlemen will | go into the church, and [ wish you to remain at the porch, and if you find occa- — | sion to give any waruing, I think your whistle will be quite shrill enough to | reach my ears.” ‘“Not a doubt on it, Sir Richard. If what they calls the last trumpet is | only half as loud as my last whistle, it will wake up the coves, and no mis- | take.” “Very good, Crotchet. Only don’t make any profane allusions in the hear- ing of the gentlemen with me, for one of them is the Under Secretary of State, | and the other two are men of account. We have to meet some one else in the | church.” ‘Then he hasn’t come.” | ‘‘That’s awkward. The Lord Mayor was to meet us. Ah! who is this?” A private carriage stopped on the other side of the way, and some one alighted, — | and a voice cried— ‘¢Go home now, Samuel, and put up the horses. I shall not want you any 1} more to-night. Go home.” | <Shan’t we callanywhere for you, my lord?” said Samuel, the coach- | man. ‘¢ No—no, I say. Go away at once.” ‘‘That’s the Lord Mayor,” said Sir Richard. “He is pretty true to his time.” | As he spoke, Sir Richard crossed the road, and addressed the chief magistrate | of the city, saying— | ‘A fine night, my lord.” “Oh, Sir Richard, is that you? Well, I am very glad to meet with you so | soon. If] were to tell you the difficulty I have had to get here, you would not '| believe me. Indeed you could not.” ‘‘ Really, my lord.” | = Yes. You must know, Sir Richard, between you and I, and—and—” | Here the Lord Mayor, who did not like to say post, looked about him, and his | eyes falling upon Temple Bar, added‘ Bar, I say; between you and me and | the Bar, the Lady Mayoress, although a most excellent woman—indeed I may \] say an admirable woman—has at times her little faults of temper. You under- } stand ?” ‘Who is without ?” said Sir Richard. | “ Ah, who indeed—who indeed, Sir Richard. Thatis a very sensible remark | } of yours. Who is without? as you justly enough say.” ‘‘The Lord Mayor!” said Sir Richard, who had been gradually leading his | lordship to Temple Bar, and now announced his arrival to the three gentlemen — | who were there in waiting. . | | The three gentlemen professed themselves to be quite delighted to see the | | Lord Mayor, and: he Lord Mayor professed to be quite in raptures to see the | three gentlemen, so that a pleasanter party than they all made, could not have | been imagined. “ Now,” said Sir Richard Blunt, “I think, with all deference, gentlemen } 4} that the sooner we proceed to business the better.” comicbooks.com