The Works of George W. M. Reynolds — page 252: what you’re looking at

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

MOTHER BAMBRIDGE’S ESTABLISHMENT 235 had said that they would be enabled to judge for themselvés whether their desired object would be forwarded in this alley to which he had directed them. ‘They therefore made up their minds simultaneously, and as if by tacit understand- ing, to accompany the girls, but they pretended to hesitate in a tipsy manner for some little time before they gave a final assent. At length they moved slowly along in the direction whither two of the flauntingly apparelled creatures led them, and a glance over their shoulders showed that there was a move amongst the flashily dressed men in front of the public- houses. ‘The girls conducted them to the farther extremity of the alley, where they stopped at the door of a house of considerable size in comparison with the others in the same neighbourhood. One of the girls knocked at the door in a manner that was evidently peculiar, and therefore intended to serve as a signal, but which would not have been noticed if the two officers were really in their cups, as they pretended to be. The summons was answered by a tawdrily dressed elderly woman, in a gown of rusty black silk, a cap flaunting with pink ribbons, and with a gold chain —or at least a very good imitation of one — hanging over her enormously protuberant bust. Her naturally rubicund countenance had upon it a still deeper flush, produced by recent pota- tions, and she simpered and smiled with an air of half-tipsy vacancy. She bade the gentlemen walk in, whisperingly asking whether they chose to be accommodated with sep- arate chambers at once. ‘We are going to drink a bottle of wine first,” answered Captain Stanley, who did not consider it expedient to be parted from his companion. | ‘“ By all means,” said the mistress of the establishment, and she led the way into a back parlour of some dimensions and tolerably well furnished. The two girls who had accompanied the officers flung off their bonnets and shawls, and Captain Stanley, still pre- serving his tipsy air, tossed a couple of sovereigns upon the table, desiring that wine might be fetched. An elderly servant-woman entered the room to receive the order from the mistress of the establishment, who had likewise seated herself there, and after a few minutes’ absence she returned with a couple of bottles of wine. She handed all the balance of the money to Mother Bambricec, as the mistress was COnNICLDOOKS (F(©)