The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 198: what you’re looking at

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

THE LODGING - HOUSE 171 fell, for she thought that if her would-be lodger had an account at the bank, the clerks must all be prepared to answer any inquiries. However, she put her question to the gentleman to whom she was thus introduced in the private room, and he, having listened to her, gravely turned over the leaves of a huge book which lay open before him. “I know nothing of Mr. Redcliffe,’ he at length said. “Then I am robbed of my time, and should have been swindled out of my rent,” ejaculated the irate Mrs. Macaulay. “ Who knows but that he would have walked off with another coffee-pot and another six silver spoons? ”’ ‘Stop, stop, my good woman,” interrupted the banker, with an imperious wave of his pen; ‘‘ you should have patience. I was going to say that I know nothing of Mr. Redcliffe personally, nor who he is, nor what he is. But this I do know, that I have upwards of one hundred thousand pounds in my hands, to the account of that gentle- man.” ‘““ Ah, dear me!” said Mrs. Macaulay, scarcely able to speak through utter amazement. ‘‘ A hundred thousand pounds, and I who was afraid of my it coffee-pot and my silver spoons. “I think, ma’am,’’ resumed the banker, ‘ that if you have Mr. Redcliffe as a lodger, — always supposing him to be the same Clement Redcliffe whose name figures in my book, — you run no risk of losing your coffee-pot or your silver spoons.” The banker then bowed slightly, but with the unmis- takable air of a man who had no more to say, and whose time was precious. Mrs. Macaulay thereupon took her leave, and entering an omnibus, was borne in the direction of her own residence. But during the ride fresh misgivings grad- ually arose in the mind of this very cautious and indeed suspicious woman. What if after all the individual who had taken her apartments was not the real Clement Red- cliffe? What if he were some swindler, who having learned that a gentleman of such a name had money at the bank, but was not known there, had availed himself of such information to pass himself off as the veritable Mr. Redcliffe? She worked herself up to such a pitch of suspicion and mis- trust that she was half-inclined to refuse to receive the gentleman. She thought it so odd that a man worth up- EORNICLOOOKS (E(0)