The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 124: what you’re looking at

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

THE VAULT IN THE CHURCH 105 an assistant, and the Burker saw at a glance that the situa- tion would suit him for the present most admirably, inas- muchas it would give him bread and a bed to sleep in, and of all places in the world an out-of-the-way secluded village such as this was perhaps the best calculated to yield him a refuge against the consequences of a hue and cry. His original intention was to push on into the wildest parts of Scotland, but his experiences of an outcast condition were already painful enough to make him wish for something settled, even though it might be nearer to Liverpool than prudence would have exactly suggested. The hope, there- fore, of becoming the old sexton’s assistant was one of the results arising from his accidental listening at the loophole of the vault. The other was the spectacle of the brandy- flask, which the Burker longed to apply to his lips. But how was he to introduce himself to the old man? Hark! Jonathan Carnabie resumes his musings. ‘“‘ Yes, Iam resolved to have an assistant, — that’s settled. But I must have one that will do my bidding in all things without being questioned; that will be tutored into taking as much pride in digging a neat grave and having a care of these vaults as I do myself. Now where is such a person to be found? ” ‘“‘ Here,’ answered the Burker, for it struck him at the instant that this was the best, as assuredly it was the short- est way of introducing himself to the notice of the individual whose patronage he sought. The old sexton started, perhaps for the first time in his life smitten with a superstitious terror, but quickly recover- ing his self-possession, his first thought was that he must have been deceived by some unusual sound. He neverthe- less instinctively looked toward the loophole, and on per- ceiving that the light of the shining heavens was intercepted by a human form, his next impression was that some belated villager was bent on playing off a joke upon him. “You have nothing to do with me or my concerns,” said Jonathan. ‘ Go your ways back to the Green Dragon, un- less they have shut up, and in decency they ought, in which case go to your bed.” “I don’t happen to have never an acquaintance with the Green Dragon,”’ responded the Burker, “ and as for seeking the bed I last slept in— But no matter,” he interrupted CORNICLOOOKS (CO)