The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 373: what you’re looking at

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

342 REYNOLDS’ WORKS that he was the only human being at that moment inside the building. He reached, as we have said, the chamber which he sought; again his lantern was produced, but he was cautious where he threw the light, for fear lest it should be observed outside by the policeman on his beat. The shutters were however closed, and thus there was less danger of the rays penetrating forth. Barney held the lantern low down, and in such a manner that its light fell only upon the floor. Then he counted the boards from the left-hand side, until he had numbered eleven, and there he stopped. Draw- ing a brad-awl from his pocket, he stuck it as deep into the wood as the force of his hand could drive it without making any noise, and it served as a handle to lift up the plank,: which was previously so firm and secure in its setting that no one, by merely treading over it, would by its oscillation or ylelding have been led to suspect it was thus movable. The cross-beams formed so many different recesses, and these the Burker examined one after the other. But his countenance grew more and more blank, or, rather, express- ive of a sullen, savage disappointment, as he found nothing. ‘Well, I’m blowed,” he said to himself, “if this isn’t odd. One of three things must have happened. Either the chap lied in his letter, or else the Smedleys have been aforehand with me, or else the men which conducted the sale must have twigged the secret of the plank and got possession of what I’m searching arter.”’ But still fancying that he might have overlooked the object for which he had come, and which had cost him so much trouble, the Burker made a more careful scrutiny of the various recesses revealed by the extracted plank. Into each recess did he throw the light of his lantern; he thrust his hand in, and felt as far as he could reach on either side underneath the boards which still remained fastened down. For more than a quarter of an hour was he thus engaged, but he found nothing. With a low but terrible imprecation, he was compelled to give up the search, and without taking the trouble to restore the plank to its place, he issued from the chamber. Descending the stairs as noiselessly as he had mounted them, he reached the hall, and on arriving there, he took out his lantern to throw a light around, for he had forgotten the precise geography of the place. CORNICLOOKS (E@)