The Works of George W. M. Reynolds — page 53: what you’re looking at

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

36 . THE COURT OF LONDON ‘Why, that a man who is drowned can’t be hanged,” replied the chandler, very seriously. “Ah! well, so it 1s,’ observed the woman, also shaking her head. Then, having drained her glass, she continued, in a whimpering tone, “‘ Poor Daniel’s gone for ever! Who’d have thought that he was born to be drowned in the Thames? I’m sure I shall never drink another drop of that water as long as I live,’’ she added; and thus speaking, she held out her glass for Taggarty to refill it with gin. ‘“ But who could have peached?”’ said this individual, as he did the honours with the bottle. ‘‘ You see that the constables were concealed already in the house at Richmond.”’ “Perhaps the footman himself had either repented, or else was a traitor all along,” observed Dick Melmoth; ‘“ and may be that Mr. Coffin meant to shoot him, though the papers say he aimed the pistol at Larry Sampson.”’ “ Well, that’s likely enough,” said Taggarty. ‘ And now, what are you going to do? Shall you keep the shop open in Fleet Lane? ”’ “To be sure,” replied Dick. ‘“‘ How the devil are we to live unless we do?” “Ah! that’s right,” said Taggarty. ‘‘ Don’t go back to your old practices, unless it is in a quiet way; but, at all events, keep the shop as a blind. Look at me, my dear friends, ’'m getting on well, and without no danger too. I keep my hands from wrongfully prigging; but if a feller brings in a cheese to sell, or a ham, or a bit of bacon, or what not, I don’t ask any questions, but give him a trifle for the goods. He may have filched them, but no one can bring the thing home to me. Ah! them was rum times when we was all together at the Kinchin-Ken in Grub Street, and when the poor Shickster was alive. Wouldn’t she have been proud to serve behind that there counter in such a snug concern as this?’’ added the chandler, jerking his thumb over his shoulder in the direction of the shop. “Well, it is a nice place, so compact,’ observed Dick Melmoth, glancing around from the parlour toward the magazine of miscellaneous goods. “By the bye,” said Taggarty, “‘ you haven’t told me how Jack the Foundling was treated at Larry-Sampson’s.”’ ‘Oh, like a prince,’ answered Dick. ‘‘ He says that he feels all manner of kind and grateful things toward Mr. Gomichbooks (E(0)