The Mysteries of the Court of London by Pauline Clarendon — page 340: what you’re looking at

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

ANOTHER DARK PLOT do” the Big Beggarman. “I thought it was better that he should not be seen following you again, as he went out. with us in the early part of the evening.” ‘ Good,” observed the woman; and, having received some money of her father, she quitted the boozing-ken, her head being so completely concealed in the hood of her cloak that no one noticed the altered appearance of her features. The Big Beggarman then sat down in the bar, to smoke his pipe and drink his hot brandy and water, while the seedy waiter dispensed the liquors to the various revellers. We must now return to Meagles and Lady Letitia Lade, whom we left at the moment when they found themselves locked in the chamber whither they had been allured under the false hope of meeting Joe the Magsman. “It is easy enough to tell me to cheer up, Tim,”’ said the Amazon, in answer to the observation which her com- panion made, and which we recorded at the end of the pre- ceding chapter; “ but I really can find little to be cheerful for. Nevertheless, | am not going to cry, nor yet yield to despair. What do you think is the meaning of all this? ”’ “T can begin to read the matter — dimly, it is true,” replied Meagles, in a subdued whisper; “ but still I can see a glimmering which promises to lighten the darkness envelop- ing this treachery.” “And what are your suspicions? ”’ inquired the huntress, as she leaned upon his arm. “Did you observe nothing peculiar in the ruffian’s man- ner when we were telling him the story about the rescue of that gentleman from the water? ”’ said Meagles. “Tt struck me once or twice that his remarks were singular, and that he even appeared troubled,” returned Lady Letitia; “but I fancied that he was experiencing a deep interest in the narrative. “Such was the construction which I put upon his words and conduct at the time,’’ said Meagles; ‘‘ but now that I begin to reflect seriously upon it all, I am convinced that the fellow was in some way or another connected with the affair of that gentleman. He asked so many questions, and seemed so anxious to glean every particular, that the thing looks very suspicious; and you may depend upon it, we should never have experienced this treachery or been thus COMME OOO SS (GO)