The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 366: what you’re looking at

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

THE SMEDLEYS AGAIN DOO diverging street, or, rather, miserable obscure alley, and there he beheld a couple of ill-looking, squalid, ragged youths, standing together. These were the brothers Bill and Tim Scott, and in no way was their hideous personal appearance altered since we first introduced them to the reader. Now Jack Smedley glanced around him with even a more searching anxiety than he had previously displayed, but flattering himself that the coast was perfectly clear, so far as any suspicious-looking individual was concerned, he took the little packet of money from his waistcoat pocket, and thrust it into the outstretched hand of Bill Scott. The large gogele eyes of the miserable being glistened with a greedy delight, and his stunted brother Tim, catching hold of Jack Smedley’s sleeve, asked impatiently, ‘‘ How much have you gived him? ’cos why he’s safe to bilk his own brother, if so be he has a chance.” “You'll find a pound in that paper,’ responded the gold-beater, quickly. ‘‘ But don’t detain me, and for Heaven’s sake don’t stand looking about in the street, or vo and get drunk at any boozing-ken and make fools of yourselves.” ‘Never you mind us, Mr. Smedley,” said Bill Scott, the elder brother. ‘“‘ But what of Barney? Is he took agin? Or has nuffin been heard on him?” ‘Nothing,’ replied Smedley, ‘‘ and he has not been retaken, — at least not to my knowledge. I always look at the newspaper —’’ ‘Well, I s’pose Barney will turn up agin some of these here days,’ said Bill Scott, ‘‘and the sooner the better, for ’'m getting unkimmon tired of this here hide-and-seek sort of a life.” “You ought to be thankful,” responded Smedley, ‘ that you've got such a good friend in me. But I can’t stop another moment. This day week, at precisely the same hour —”’ ‘Where is it to be?” asked Bill Scott. “Where? ”’ and after an instant’s musing, Jack Smedley added, “ At the back of St. George’s Church.” Having thus spoken, the gold-beater turned upon his heel, and retraced his way rapidly along Mint Street, taking care however the while to be more profuse in his tract distri- bution than while proceeding in the contrary direction. CORAICLOO© SS (CO)