The Mysteries of the Court of London by Pauline Clarendon — page 21: what you’re looking at

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

18 THE COURT OF LONDON box, and laid a vigorous grasp upon the collars of the two constables. An altercation now took place which occupied ten min- utes; for Mr. Sneesby looked to his principal, Mr. Grint, to emancipate him from any liability in the case, and, on his side, Mr. Grint was fearful that, if he once paid the money, he should not be able to recover it again from Mr. Page. At length the two constables determined upon reéntering the vehicle and driving after the commercial traveller, and this plan was accordingly adopted. In the meantime Mr. Page, having reached that part of the road where he fancied that the object of pursuit must have sought concealment somewhere or other, began to knock at every door in the row of houses with the gardens in front; but to his reiterated question whether a tall gentle- man in a cloak had just taken refuge there, he was met by a decisive negative. At length, having thus disturbed the inmates of half a dozen dwellings, — for it was now nearly eleven o'clock, — he was on the point of giving up the pur- sult in despair, when suddenly he recollected the lane to which the driver of the yellow coach had alluded. “Well, I won’t be beaten yet awhile,’ he murmured to himself; and away he sped along the lane, not pausing to reflect whether the constables were following him, nor whether, if he did succeed in overtaking the fugitive, he could possibly secure him without their assistance. On, therefore, rushed Mr. Page, as if he himself were pursued by the officers of justice; and Heaven knows how long he would have thus exercised his speed, had he not suddenly been stopped by a huge fellow, whom he encoun- tered at a turning in the lane. The moonlight fell upon as villainous a physiognomy as ever one would expect to meet outside of Newgate; and the commercial traveller was by no way reassured when a more attentive examination of the man made him acquainted with the fact that he carried a great club-stick in his hand. The result was inevitable, and just what our readers might suppose. Mr. Page was compelled to surrender his purse, his watch, and his gold ring upon the spot, and the robber, not satisfied with this booty, insisted upon searching his victim’s garments. A mortal terror now came over the miserable commercial ECORNIE OOO KS (Elo) m