The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 225: what you’re looking at

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

202 REYNOLDS’ WORKS speedily forced a hole through the lath and plaster. With his hand he could feel the tiles, and he had now to dislodge them in such a way that they should not slide down the sloping roof and fall into the road, — a circumstance which might lead to the frustration of his entire project of escape. Therefore, after having raised the first tile with the utmost caution, he drew in each successive one through the opening thus formed and deposited it upon the floor of his cell Though he worked with all his characteristic energy, yet was he in a continued state of suspense, for another visit on — the part of a constable to the little trap in the door would prove the ruin of everything. This visit was not however paid, and thus the Burker worked on unmolested. At length the opening was large enough for him to begin passing himself through it, and first protruding his head, he looked carefully around to see whether the coast was clear. No one was in the little yard, no one was looking forth from any of the numerous windows which, at the backs of the ad- jacent houses, commanded a view of the scene. At a short distance was the rear of the vast structure of Covent Garden Theatre, and as the Burker knew that the estab- lishment was shut up at the time, a thought struck him. “ Tf I could only get into that place,’”’ he said within him- self, ‘‘ maybe I should have a choice of dresses; and whether I made my appearance in the streets as harlequin or panta- loon, it would at all events be a change from this cussed old black gabardine and gray beard.” Having satisfied himself that he was unobserved, the Burker issued completely through the aperture which he had formed in the roof of his cell, and he now seemed to breathe the air of freedom. Gathering up the folds of his long gar- ment in such a way that it might not encumber him nor im- pede his progress, he crept along a wall and climbed to the top of the somewhat higher building than that from which he had escaped. Another connecting wall brought him to another flat-roofed house, and here he came to a stand-still. The place where he thus found himself, abutted against a much higher building, to reach the summit of which there was only one means visible, and this was to climb a slanting leadenypipe. To do this, or to retrace his way altogether to the roof of his cell and seek some other avenue of escape amidst the maze of buildings, these were the alternatives between which EORMICLIOO KS (E(0)