The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 247: what you’re looking at

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

220 REYNOLDS’ WORKS ‘‘ A precious nuisance,” observed Bealby, ‘‘ and just for the want of about thirty pounds or so! I wish I knew how to get the mummy out of the place without the landlady’s knowledge, but it is impossible. She has got the eyes of a lynx, and what’s more, when she dunned me for her rent this afternoon, I told her that the old gentleman would come to buy the mummy, and she was satisfied with my promise that she should receive the cash with her own fair hands.” ‘Tt is uncommon provoking,” said Ben Limber, in a tone of deep annoyance. | ‘Provoking? I believe you,” rejoined Bealby. ‘‘ There’s thousands to be made by that idea of mine. I would give anything to get hold of a clear thirty-pound note at this moment, so that we might start fair and unshackled; but where the deuce such a sum is to be got by anything like honest means, I don’t know.” ‘‘ Well, I-say, Bealby,” observed Mr. Limber, after a few minutes’ pause, during which the process of drinking and smoking went on, ‘“ suppose there was any way of raising this money without the strictest regard for what the world calls honesty, what should you say? Mind, I have no settled plan; I’m only just thinking whether we ought to be overnice and particular — ”’ ‘Nice and particular indeed!”’ ejaculated Bealby, with contempt, ‘‘ nothing of the sort. You know enough of me, and you’ve heard enough to-night, Ben, to be pretty well aware that I shouldn’t stick at a trifle, but at the same time, my boy, I try to steer clear of the law as well as I possibly can. Nice and particular indeed! Just to show you how nice and particular I am, I shouldn’t mind accepting a loan from that murderer-fellow who was examined this afternoon at the office a few doors off.”’ ‘“ Which means,” observed Mr. Limber, approvingly, “ that you don’t mind where the deuce the money comes from, so long as it does come somehow or another.”’ ‘‘ You’ve just hit it, Ben,’’ answered Mr. Bealby. ‘ Well, then, genelmen,” a voice was suddenly heard to say, “I thinks as how I can accommodate you.’ It would be impossible to describe the alarm which sud- denly seized upon Mr. Bealby and Mr, Limber as this strange, coarse, uncouth voice met their ears. But with the archxo- logical gentleman this terror was transient enough, whereas ECORNICLIIOOKS (E(0)