The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 23: what you’re looking at

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

4 REYNOLDS’ WORKS if it were a very serious matter indeed. ‘‘ You have gone at such a devil of a pace. But, after all, there’s nothing like it.”’ ‘“‘ Nothing,” said the younger of the two gentlemen. ‘“ A short life and a merry one.” ‘““ Ah, that’s my maxim!’ exclaimed the other. ‘‘ Pass the champagne.” At this moment the waiter entered and whispered to ee Sycamore, ‘‘ A gentleman, sir, wishes to speak to you for a moment. He says he has called about a yacht.” ‘“A yacht? ”’ ejaculated Sycamore, aloud. ‘‘ It must be a mistake. I have not spoken to any one — ”’ ‘The gentleman says, sir,’ continued the waiter, still in a whisper, “‘ that he must speak to you, and he won’t detain you a minute.” ‘“ What’s his name?” asked Sycamore, growing some- what uneasy at this announcement of the stranger’s perti- nacity to obtain an interview with him. ‘““ His name, sir? Oh, he says it is Mr. Smith, and his friend’s is Mr. Noakes.”’ “Ah, he has a friend with him?” said Sycamore; and this circumstance, as well as the two names, which seemed to be most ominously like fictitious ones, sent a cold appre- hension to the conscience-stricken individual’s heart. ‘Don’t suffer yourself to be intruded upon now,” ex- claimed one of the young gentlemen. “Say that Mr. Sycamore is not within,” cried the other, in an authoritative tone to the waiter. “And if they don’t go, pitch them down the stairs,” added the first. ‘Or toss them out of the window,” superadded the second. , ‘What shall I say, sir?’ asked the waiter, who himseli looked somewhat embarrassed, as if he had a vague suspicion of impending evil floating in his mind, although he most probably considered Messrs. Smith and Noakes to be sherifis’- officers, and therefore to have no mission more serious than that of the execution of civil process. ‘‘ Are they really gentlemen? ’’ inquired Sycamore, who now felt as if boiling oil were pouring through his veins. ‘“‘ Well, sir, they told me to say they was,”’ answered the waiter; but he did not think it necessary to state in addition the trifling fact that a half-crown had been thrust into his CORMICLIOOKS (E(0)