The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 131: what you’re looking at

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

108 REYNOLDS’ WORKS “Your wery good health, sir, and here’s wishing you a long life and a merry von,” said Mr. Barnes, by way of compli- mentary preface to a somewhat prolonged application to the contents of the flask. “A merry life! ’’ exclaimed old Jonathan; ‘‘ how can you talk in such a light strain? What can the merriment be for one who has all his days been accustomed to dwell amongst the dead, so that the gloom of vaults and sepulchres and the damp of graves have become habitual to him? But you were saying just now that you were the man who would become my assistant — ” ‘And an uncommon handy feller you’ll find me, I can tell you,”’ rejoined the Burker. ‘‘ But how is it I find you in this here place at such an hour of the night? I don’t say it isn’t agreeable enough, I like it uncommon; it’s quite a change, and wariety is charming.” | ‘This vault,” answered old Jonathan, solemnly, “ belongs to the Featherstones of Featherstone Hall. It’s a very old family, and all these coffins that you see around contain scions of that race. Another — a promising young man as ever you could wish to see — died a few days ago, and he will be buried here to-morrow. ‘There was a marriage in the church this morning, and I could not find it im my heart to raise the stone of this vault till the evening — ‘And you don’t mean to-say you did it by yourself? f exclaimed the Burker. ‘““No, I had an assistant in the task,’’ rejoined Jonathan; ‘“‘ but the instant it was over, he hurried away, frightened at the gloom of the building when once the dusk had set in. You see that I am not frightened. I came and sat myself down here to determine where the coffin should be put to- morrow, — and now you know how it is that you find me in such a place at such an hour.”’ “Tf I was your assistant,’ remarked the Burker, “ instead of running away the moment work was over, I should like to come down into these here places and have a chat, — more partikler when there’s the brandy-flask to keep the cold out of one’s throat.”’ Jonathan Carnabie deliberated with himself for a few minutes, and having decided upon engaging the services of the man who had so singularly offered himself, he proceeded to specify the duties which an assistant would have to per- CORMICLIOO KES m