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66 - Mysteries of London Vol I part 1 by George W M Reynolds · Mysteries of London Vol. I part 1

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  Speaker 1: Reynolds, chapter sixty three. Well, young blade, cried the cracksman.
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  Speaker 1: You haven't kept us waiting at all, I suppose, And
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  Speaker 1: do you fancy that I could wake myself up again
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  Speaker 1: in a minute when I had once laid down, demanded
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  Speaker 1: the lad sulkily. Oh bother to the laying down, Harry,
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  Speaker 1: said the cracksman. Don't you think me and Tony wants
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  Speaker 1: to sleep as well as a strong hearty young feller
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  Speaker 1: like you, And we haven't put buff and downy since
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  Speaker 1: night before last. Well, never mind shafting about that, cried
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  Speaker 1: the resurrection man impatiently. Then, having dismissed the waiter, he continued,
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  Speaker 1: Now about this business at the palace, we must have
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  Speaker 1: no delay, and when we make appointments in future they
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  Speaker 1: must be better kept. But I won't speak of this
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  Speaker 1: one now, because there is some allowance to be made
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  Speaker 1: for you, as you were up to the best part
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  Speaker 1: of the night, and you ain't accustomed to it as
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  Speaker 1: we are. But to the point, how is this affair
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  Speaker 1: to be managed? I don't see how it is to
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  Speaker 1: be managed at all, answered Holford firmly. The devil you don't,
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  Speaker 1: cried the cracksman. Then what was you doing all that
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  Speaker 1: time in the palace, running a thousand wrists of being
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  Speaker 1: found out every minute, so we all do at times,
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  Speaker 1: and sneaking about at night time to find food. I
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  Speaker 1: think you managed to discover the right place for the grist,
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  Speaker 1: said the resurrection Man, his cadaverous countenance, wearing an ironical smile.
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  Speaker 1: For you must recollect that. I found you in the pantry,
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  Speaker 1: and the pantry's a good neighborhood. It can't be far
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  Speaker 1: from where the plate's kept, observed the cracksmen. The plate
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  Speaker 1: is kept where no one can get at it, said Holford.
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  Speaker 1: How do you know that, youngster. I overheard the servants
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  Speaker 1: count it, lock it up in a chest and take
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  Speaker 1: it to the apartments of the Lord Stewart. I think
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  Speaker 1: they call him the Deuce, ejaculated the Cracksmen in a
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  Speaker 1: tone of deep disappointment. Now I tell you what it is,
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  Speaker 1: young fellow, said the resurrection man. I think that, for
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  Speaker 1: some reason or another, you're deceiving us. You think so,
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  Speaker 1: cried the lad And why should you fancy that I
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  Speaker 1: am deceiving you? Because your manners tell me so. In
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  Speaker 1: that case, said Holford, rising from his seat, it is
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  Speaker 1: not of any use for us to talk any more
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  Speaker 1: upon the subject. By God, it is of use, though,
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  Speaker 1: exclaimed the cracksman. You shall tell us the truth by
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  Speaker 1: fair means or foul. And he produced from his pocket
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  Speaker 1: a clasped knife, the murderous blade of which flew open
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  Speaker 1: by means of a spring which was pressed at the back.
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  Speaker 1: Holford turned pale and resumed his seat. Now you see
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  Speaker 1: that it is of no use to humbug us, said
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  Speaker 1: the resurrection man. Tell us the whole truth, and you will,
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  Speaker 1: of course get your rig'lars out of the swag. You
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  Speaker 1: told me that the Queen was going to Windsor in
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  Speaker 1: a day or two, and that was as much to
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  Speaker 1: say that the affair would come off. Then I told
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  Speaker 1: you the queen was going to wind sir, And I
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  Speaker 1: tell you so again, replied Holford. But I can't help
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  Speaker 1: it if they lock up the plate, and I don't
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  Speaker 1: know what else there is for you to carry off.
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  Speaker 1: The Resurrection and the cracksmen exchanged glances of mingled rage
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  Speaker 1: and disappointment. They did not precisely believe what the lad
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  Speaker 1: told them, and yet they could not see any motive
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  Speaker 1: which he was likely to have for misleading them, unless
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  Speaker 1: it were to retain all the profits of his discoveries
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  Speaker 1: in the palace for his own soul. Beholf Now, Holford,
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  Speaker 1: my good fellow, said the cracksman, shutting up his clasp
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  Speaker 1: knife and returning it to his pocket. If you fancy
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  Speaker 1: that you are able to go through this business alone
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  Speaker 1: and without any help, you are deucedly mistaken. I imagine
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  Speaker 1: no such thing, returned Holford. And to prove to you
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  Speaker 1: that I am convinced there is nothing to be got
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  Speaker 1: by the affair in any shape or way. Do you
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  Speaker 1: and Tidgins attempt it alone together? He found his way
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  Speaker 1: to the pantry as well as I did, and can
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  Speaker 1: tell you what he saw there. That a true, said
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  Speaker 1: the resurrection man, apparently struck by his observation. So I
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  Speaker 1: suppose we must give the thing up as a bad job.
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  Speaker 1: I suppose we must, added the cracksman, rinding his teeth.
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  Speaker 1: But by God, if I thought this younger was humbugging us,
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  Speaker 1: I'd plant three inches of gold steel in him. Come,
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  Speaker 1: what would thank you for your kindness? Said Holford, not
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  Speaker 1: without a shudder. Another time, get some person to act
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  Speaker 1: for you, whose word you will believe. And now he continued,
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  Speaker 1: turning to the resurrection man please to recollect the terms
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  Speaker 1: we agreed upon, a third of all we could get
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  Speaker 1: if successful, are five pounds for me in case of failure. Well,
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  Speaker 1: I shall keep my word, returned the resurrection man. Blow
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  Speaker 1: me if I would, though, exclaimed the cracksman, fiercely. Yes,
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  Speaker 1: fair plays a jewel, said the resurrection man, darting a
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  Speaker 1: significant glance at his companion. Then feeling in his pocket,
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  Speaker 1: he added, halford is entitled to his five pounds, and
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  Speaker 1: he shall have them. But curse me if I have
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  Speaker 1: enough in my pocket to pay him. I tell you
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  Speaker 1: what it is, my lad, he continued, turning towards the
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  Speaker 1: young man. You must meet me somewhere this evening, and
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  Speaker 1: I'll give you the money. That will do, cried Holford.
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  Speaker 1: Where shall I meet where? Repeated the resurrection man, affecting
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  Speaker 1: to muse upon the question. Oh, I will tell you.
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  Speaker 1: You know the dark Horse and brick Lane, Spittlefields. I
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  Speaker 1: have heard of it, but was never there. Well meet
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  Speaker 1: me there to night at nine o'clock, Harry, said the
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  Speaker 1: resurrection man in a kind tone as he could assume.
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  Speaker 1: And I'll tip you the five counters at nine, punctually
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  Speaker 1: returned Holford, I would not press you, but I have
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  Speaker 1: lost my place in consequence of being absent all this
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  Speaker 1: time without being able to give any account of myself,
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  Speaker 1: and so I'm regularly hard up. I'm going to look
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  Speaker 1: after a situation up somewhere beyond Camden Town this afternoon
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  Speaker 1: that I heard of by accident, but I'm afraid I
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  Speaker 1: shall not get it, as I shall give no reference
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  Speaker 1: for character, and even if I could, it would be
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  Speaker 1: to the public house where I was a pot boy,
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  Speaker 1: in a place I'm going to try for it is
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  Speaker 1: to clean boots and knives and make myself generally useful
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  Speaker 1: in a gentleman's house. So I'm afraid that I'm not
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  Speaker 1: likely to get the situation. I hope you may, my
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  Speaker 1: lad for your sake, cried the resurrection Man. At all events,
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  Speaker 1: the five quids will keep you from starving for the
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  Speaker 1: next two months to come. So mind and be punctual
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  Speaker 1: this evening at nine, I shall not fail, answered Holfort,
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  Speaker 1: and with these words he departed. Well blow me if
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  Speaker 1: I can make out now what you're up to, exclaimed
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  Speaker 1: the Cracksman, as soon as he and his companion in
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  Speaker 1: infamy were alone together. You never thought that I should
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  Speaker 1: be fool enough to give him five colders for doing
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  Speaker 1: nothing but humorous, said the resurrection Man. No, no, catch
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  Speaker 1: a weasel asleep, but not Tony Tidkins. Don't you see
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  Speaker 1: that he has been making fools of us? I remember
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  Speaker 1: what a devil of a hurry he was in to
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  Speaker 1: get me away from the palace when I lighted upon
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  Speaker 1: him in the pantry. And altogether I'm convinced he's been
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  Speaker 1: doing his best to stall us off from the business,
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  Speaker 1: so I think, said the Cracksman. Well, resumed the resurrection man.
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  Speaker 1: We'll just try what a few days in the pit
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  Speaker 1: under the staircase and my crib will do for him.
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  Speaker 1: I have mended up the hole that opens into the
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  Speaker 1: saw pit next door, and there is no chances of
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  Speaker 1: his escaping. We must make him drink a glass at
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  Speaker 1: the dark Horse and drug the grog well, and we
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  Speaker 1: needed fear about being able to get him up into
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  Speaker 1: my street. Ah, Now I understand you, observed the cracksman.
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  Speaker 1: Only see what it is to have a head like yorn.
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  Speaker 1: The pit will soon make him tell us the real truth,
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  Speaker 1: and if not, if he remains obstinate, mused the resurrection
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  Speaker 1: man aloud. Why In that case we shall know what
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  Speaker 1: to do with him. Added the cracksman, and the two
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  Speaker 1: miscreates exchanged glances of horrible significancy. End of Chapter sixty three,
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  Speaker 1: Recording by Judy Gynen