The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 213: what you’re looking at

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

186 THE COURT OF LONDON ‘‘ A savoury mess, such as Ichabod loveth,’’ moaned Mr. Paxwax. ‘But I always puts an ing’un into the gravy, please your washup,”’ continued Mrs. Piggleberry, “‘ and if your washup will only tell your cook the next time — ”’ “The ten-pound note,” exclaimed the magistrate, im- patiently. ‘“‘ This is not a case of liver and bacon, my good woman.” ‘“No more it isn’t,” said Mrs. Piggleberry, seriously; though with a dubious look and mystic shake of her head, as if she were not quite sure that the dish in question had not something to do with the matter. ‘“ Well, your washup, I gave the girl the ten-pound note — ”’ ‘And I gave it to Mr. Snea-eks-by,” said Ann Jones, whimpering. ‘ It was agreed that I should leave home and go and live at his new house after a little while; but I wasn’t to follow him directly, for fear that mother and father and aunt should suspect where I’d gone. But when I got the ten pounds, I thought it was the best time to go to him, as I could keep the money to buy clothes with. But I didn’t buy clothes, for Mr. Sneaksby was very short at the time, and when he knew that I had the note he asked me to give it to him. He said the Lord had need of it.” “Oh, Ann, thou canst not say that I took thy shekels of gold!’’ observed the reverend gentleman, with a solemn shake of the head, and an awful elongation of the countenance. ‘“ Nor the shekels of silver,” added Paxwax, in a sombre tone. ‘Yes, you did, though,” cried Ann, tartly; ‘“ and you both got so tipsy the same night that I was ashamed of you. But these two fellows, your worship, were always drinking; and they sometimes used me very badly. I should have - run away from them, only I’d no place to go to, for I didn’t dare return home. And now that everything has come out at last, I don’t mind telling all I know of them. They’re a scandalous pair of impostors, and that’s what they are,” added Miss Jones, working herself up into a fury. ‘‘ Sister Ann, sister Ann,’”’ exclaimed Mr. Sneaksby, shak- ing his forefinger at the young woman, “ thou wilt repent of this ingratitude to one who hath been a kind master and a loving brother unto thee! ”’ | ‘Oh! do send him to prison, your worship,” cried the Gomilcbooks (E(o)