The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 122: what you’re looking at

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

THE DISGUISED ONE 99 holding forth to him on the beauties and wonders of the metropolis, with the idea of rendering himself as agreeable as possible. “This here is a wery fine road,” said Mr. Barnes; “ as straight as a harrow right up to Oxford Street till you come to the corner of the Tottenham Court Road and 8&t. Giles’s. You see this here gate on your right hand leading into the park? Well, it’s Tyburn.”’ “God bless me!” said old Jonathan. ‘‘ Not where the people used to be hanged? ” “The wery identical same,’ responded Mr. Barnes. ‘ There’s many a fine feller has rode a horse there foaled by a acorn, and danced upon nothink amidst wery great applause. My grandfather —”’ “ Most likely saw many such sights? ”’ said Mr. Carnabie, inquiringly. “Yes, he was rayther fond of ’em,”’ rejoined the Burker, who had been upon the point of letting out that his respect- able ancestor was one of the individuals who had given a terrible notoriety to the district of Tyburn. ‘‘ Pray, sir, what’s your idea of the punishment of death? ”’ “Why,” answered Jonathan, who was imbued with all antiquated prejudices, ‘I think that when a man has done a great deal of wickedness, he ought to be put out of the world.” “ Quite right, sir, quite right,’ said the Burker, emphati- cally. ‘‘I’d hang ’em all, the scoundrels. I suppose you have come up to London, sir, on a little business? ”’ ‘Yes,’ answered Jonathan, ‘‘ and I’ve got all my ex- penses paid, as well as good lodgings found for me, so that I’ve got a little opportunity of enjoying myself in a quiet way.” ‘“A country gentleman, I presume, sir? ”’ said the Burker, with as much of an insinuating tone as he could possibly assume. “Not exactly a gentleman,” rejoined old Carnabie, who was a man of truth. ‘I hope you won’t think the worse of me, sir, when I tell you that I’m a parish clerk? ”’ “Why, if there’s a class of men that I cotton to more than all others,’ exclaimed the Burker, as if in admiration, “it’s the wery respectable one that you belongs to. I’ve always found ’em a set of intelligent say-nothink-to- ECORNICLOO© cS (CO)