The Twin Detectives; or, The Robbers of the Tomb — page 27: what you’re looking at

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

18 ih THE TWIN DETECTIVES. * McLean walked rapidly up the alley on the right-hand side, till he came to a high house whose battered and black- ened exterior told its own story of the character of its 1n- mates. - : He ascended the steps to the front door, and pushing it open entered without ceremony. | ‘The hall was dirty and shabby, and through the open door of a back room came the sound of voices. As the steward closed the door after him, a man appeared. ‘< Hallo! what do you want?” he inquired. ‘©T want to see Prescot,” replied McLean. «< Are you the cove Prescot expected?” asked the other. heUY. 08. ‘All right. Come in.” McLean obeyed, and found himself in a large room. It was dirty and shabby in the extreme. Some fifteen men lounged about the room; the chairs were all occupied, and some of the party sat on the table. They were all smoking, and some were drinking beer. ‘The mien’s ages varied as much as their costumes; they talked in language which no one but a London thief could under- stand, so thickly was it interlarded with slang terms. McLean sat down, looking very uncomfortable and rather alarmed. Prescot seemed a leader of the party. He was a dark- complexioned man, of about forty years, with a face that spoke out plainly of a passionate nature, and an ungovern- able temper. He seemed soured and desperate, yet something in his aspect told that he had not always been the companion of thieves and cut-throats. His clothing was shabby, but it had once been fine; in fact, even a careless observer would have remarked the fact that Prescot was an intelligent man, and had received the education of a gentleman. (E(0) m comicbooks