The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 37: what you’re looking at

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

20 THE COURT OF LONDON “No,” replied the Buttoner, ‘‘ you can be off and get back to Mother Young’s. There’s enough of us here to do the business without you. But here, take a drop of summut short first,’ and he handed her a glass of spirits. ‘“ Well, here’s success to you,” said Nell, her good-humour returning, and she tossed off the burning alcohol; then replacing the glass on the table, she took her depar- ture. ‘“ T raly don’t know what to make of that gal,’’ said the Buttoner, after a brief pause. ‘‘ I have been her flash man for the last three weeks, and can’t understand her yet.”’ ‘“She’s as deep and artiul as the devil,” said Bencull, “and that’s why I first of all recommended her in this job. But if so be she should turn her artifice against us — ”’ ‘Then, by Satan! she shall suffer for it,’’ exclaimed the Hangman, rising from his seat and buttoning up his coat. ‘“ Ay, that she should,’’ said the Mushroom Faker. ‘“‘ And I would help to do for her,’’ added Bob the Durry- nacker. ‘Well, we shall know more about it prgsently, I dare say,” observed the Hangman. “ And now I am off up to Long Acre to call at Larry’s and see if I can get hold of the police book. I hope when I come back, in two or three hours or so,” he added, with a look ominously ferocious, “ I shall hear that Larry Sampson is deep down at the bottom of the ditch.” Then jerking his thumb significantly over his shoulder toward the window, the Hangman put on his hat and quitted the room. Bencull, the Buttoner, the Mushroom Faker, and the Durrynacker now remained together at the dark crib, smok- ing and drinking, and conversing on the business which they had in hand. Once or twice Bencull went out to the street door, to ascertain, as he expressed himself, “‘ what sort of a night it was; ’’ and returning on each occasion to his com- panions to report that the moon was coming out clearer and brighter, they with one accord regretted that 1t was not pitch-dark, considering the enterprise they had in progress. For although none of the inhabitants of Jacob’s Island might be supposed to be overparticular, yet it was somewhat too serious an affair to have the eyes of neighbours catching a glimpse of any murderous proceeding by the aid of moon- COnnicloookxs (E(@)