The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 196: what you’re looking at

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

CHAPTER XVI THE PASTILLES WE must now return to the Burker, whom we left when issuing forth from the Duke of Marchmont’s mansion with a purse which by the feel he knew to be well filled with notes and gold. Making his way to some low public-house with which he was acquainted, but where at the same time he felt very sure that he should not be recognized in his Jewish garb, the miscreant regaled himself with plenty of refreshment in the shape of strong liquor, having partaken of which he retired to bed. It was his purpose to leave the metropolis on the following day, and get to some seaport, whence he might embark for France. We need hardly observe that he took very good care to reckon over the contents of the purse, and he found that the Duke of Marchmont had not deceived him, but that the amount was larger than the recompense promised for the crime in respect to Indora. In the morning the Burker obtained an early sight of the newspaper, and he read the same paragraph which has already been presented to our readers. Nothing could ex- ceed the astonishment of the Burker on finding how tre- mendous a mistake he had committed; he sat for some minutes utterly lost in amazement at the discovery of this startling fact. Yet how did it matter to him, since he had pocketed the reward? But then a thought was gradually stealing into the Burker’s mind. It was the death of Indora for which the duke had bargained, and the same motives, whatever they were, which had prompted his Grace to desire that lady’s assassination must still exist. Thus did Mr. Barnes reason within himself, and thence he calculated that another reward as ample as the one he had just received might possibly be forthcoming from the duke for the con- 173 CoOnnicloookKks (CO)