The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 29: what you’re looking at

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

12 THE COURT OF LONDON would not come to me. Therefore pray get to the point. at once, and tell me what you want.” ‘‘There’s a plot agin you, Mr. Sampson, a deep-laid plot,’ said the old woman, looking at him significantly with her bleared eyes, “‘ and if you don’t mind, it will be the wuss for you, that it will.” “Ah! I am constantly hearing of plots and schemes against me,” observed the Bow Street officer, with an air of indifference, ‘‘ but you see I survive them all. However, if you have really anything to tell me, do it quickly. De- scribe your motives in thus putting me on my guard, and also say what reward you expect.” “The reward I shall leave to you, Mr. Sampson,” replied the old harridan, ‘‘ for I know you will treat me well. I shall be eighty-nine come next Febiverry, and that’s a age which you won’t treat with disrespect. But I say now, hasn’t that Gibson gal been three or four times with you? ”’ ‘“ Just so,” replied Sampson. ‘“‘ What then? ”’ ‘‘ She’s playing you false, sir,’’ resumed Mother Franklin. “Tt’s all a plant of the Hangman’s and Bencull’s, I can promise you.” ‘‘T had my suspicions, I can assure you,” observed Samp- son, with his habitual coolness. ‘* Go on.” “Tl tell you all, but it will be best to begin at the be- ginning. Well, sir, one day the Hangman called at your house — this wery house, I mean,’’ continued the old hag, ‘and somehow or another he managed to get into a secret, room of yours where there’s a@ many dresses, and he also saw a great big book that you’ve got and where you write down everything that happens. Ha! ha!” laughed the hag, shaking her head significantly, ‘‘ you see I know something worth your knowing, and you also see, by the same token, that I am telling the truth. Well, in that great book the Hangman read a many things, and all about your dressing up yourself as a knife-grinder and going down to Folly Bridges, — that’s Jacob’s Island, you know, — and getting chucked into the ditch. So, you see, the Hangman found out that you know a good deal too much to suit him and the rest of the gang, and so he has planted Nell Gibson upon you to ’tice you down to the dark crib, where you'll be done for; and at the same time the Hangman means to come here to your house and get hold of the great book, so that it Gomicdooks (E(@)