The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 369: what you’re looking at

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

338 REYNOLDS’ WORKS ‘To be sure,”’ said Bill Scott, approvingly, ‘‘ but perhaps you will tell me why you’ve sent either me or Tim every day for the last week up into the Regent’s Park to have a look whether the furnitur’ is still in that there house, or whether there’s bills up to say it’s all to be sold by auction.” ‘““°’Cos why it come to my knowledge — never mind how,”’ answered the Burker, “ that the chap which used to live in that house was made a bankrupt some time ago, and so | knowed wery well that as the things wasn’t yet sold off, they would be soon, and that’s the reason I set you fellers to watch and see.” | ‘“ Well, but what has all that got to do with you? ”’ asked Bill Scott. “ I suppose you ain’t a-going to take the house and set up in business as a genelman.”’ ‘No, I ain’t a-going to retire from my perfession yet awhile,’’ answered the Burker. ‘‘ I haven’t made my for- tune.” ‘But you got a jolly lot of swag t’other night, though,”’ observed the youthful thief, — ‘‘ a matter of a hundred and twenty pounds for yourself. Them Smedleys ought to have let me and Tim go shears.” ‘Not a bit on’t,”’ said the Burker, sternly. ‘‘ You wos only sarving an apprenticeship on that particklar night, and we ought to thank the Smedleys and old Mother Webber that they didn’t make me fork out summat on your account as a premium on your indenturs’.”’ ‘Now, do you know what I would have done if I’d been you? ” asked Bill Scott, after a pause. ‘How can I know unless you tell me? What?” ‘‘T’d have kept the whole of that there swag for myself,” returned the youth, with dogged dryness; “ I’d have stuck to the blunt, s’elp me tater.” “Then you would have done a thing which would have kivered you with shame and disgrace,’’ rejoined the Burker, with a tone and look of surly indignation. ‘‘ Haven’t you larned that wery excellent maxim, ‘ Honour amung thieves?’ If not, I had better punch it into your great thick head at once,” and Barney looked very much as if he intended to suit the action to the word. ‘Come, none of that,’’ exclaimed Scott, shrinking back in terror at the ferocious ruffian. ‘I didn’t mean no harm.” ‘Then don’t go for to start such immoral notions again,” CORnNICLOOkKS (C©)