The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 222: what you’re looking at

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

THE CELL 199 the water at the country’s expense, — just as our great am- bassadors travels for nothing, or as them dirty scamps of German princes does when they comes over to visit their pals at Vindsor Castle or Buckingham Palace. And if I do go out in that there honourable manner to Wan Diemen’s Land or Australia, so much the better for my resolve to wring that feller Jack Smedley’s neck, ’cos why, he’s certain to be lagged. And if I’m let free altogether through my friend the duke, or if so be I escape to-night, blowed if I don’t start off at my own expense, — that is, at the duke’s, but it’s just the same thing, — and I’ll never rest till I cook Jack Smedley’s goose.”’ The Burker sometimes had a habit of musing as well as of talking in a strain that was horribly and ferociously hu- mourous, and such was the mood that he found himself in now. A pitchy darkness prevailed in the cell, but if any eyes had been peering in upon that wretch, and if they could have pen- etrated the Cimmerian blackness of the place, it would have been seen that his countenance expressed a diabolic savage- ness while he was thus meditating his schemes of vengeance in respect to Jack Smedley. The Burker felt the file, and by the touch he knew that it was one well suited to his purpose. He was tolerably well assured that he would not at least for the present be intruded upon, inasmuch as he reflected that whatsoever the inspector had promised in the presence of the Duke of Marchmont he was certain to perform. The reader can have been at no loss to comprehend the Burker’s motive in declining to have hot water sent in wherewith to take off his beard, and likewise in refusing the refreshments which the inspector had proffered. He wished to be left entirely to himself, so that with the least possible delay he might commence operations toward the achievement of his escape. It was really true, as he had stated to the constable, that he could not take off his false beard without the use of hot water, for the adhesive matter clung tight to the skin, which it would assuredly peel off if it were attempted to remove the beard by violence. And then, too, it must be observed that the Burker had not been shaven for two or three days, so that the false beard had a particularly powerful hold on the natural stubbly growth over all the lower part of his face. Not many minutes elapsed after the Duke of Marchmont EOMINIGIOOKS (GO) im