The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 287: what you’re looking at

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

260 REYNOLDS’ WORKS He rejoined the old sexton, as we have already said, and a furtive look, hastily flung upon Carnabie’s countenance, convinced the miscreant that nothing disagreeable or threat- ening had transpired in reference to himself. ‘Well, where is the mattock?”’ asked Jonathan, some- what surlily, “and what made you such a long time in looking for it? ”’ ; ‘“TIt was just because I could not find it that I stayed so long,’’ answered the Burker, “‘ and now I recollect, it’s along with t’other things in the porch yonder. But you’ve had that poor mad creetur’ a chattering away with you at a gallows’ rate.”’ ‘“T can’t rightly make her out,’’ responded the sexton. ‘‘She is as demented as one can be in some respects, and yet she seems as if she had a sort of lucidity on one sub- ject.” ‘‘ And what’s that? ”’ inquired the Burker, as if with an air of indifference. ‘‘ Why, about the poor lady that is buried here,”’ replied Jonathan, pointing to the grave headed by the stone with the concise inscription. ‘‘ It appears as if she knew that — lady, and so I was telling her the sad, romantic story — which, by the bye, I promised to narrate to you one of these days —”’ ‘““ Well, but she bolted away again like mad,”’ interjected the Burker. ‘‘ Like mad, as she assuredly is,’’ rejoined the sexton. ‘‘T was only half-through the story, she got much excited, said she would come back another day, and hurried off pre- cipitately.”’ ‘“T thought you meant to persuade her to get out of the parish altogether,’’ observed Barnes, “‘ as you wouldn’t have no wagrants and waggabone mendicants here? ”’ ‘‘ A vagrant she may be, poor creature! ’”’ said Jonathan, in a compassionating tone, ‘‘ and a vagabond too for that matter, for the terms merely mean a wanderer without a settled home, but a mendicant she is not. She has plenty of money — ”’ “Plenty of money, eh?” said the Burker. ‘ Where the deuce could she get it from? ”’ “That she did not tell me,’”’ answered Jonathan, “ but she threw me a— a— sixpence, telling me to drink her ECORMICLIOO KS (E(0) =)