The little pucker in her brows became more
perceptible. Advancing with a slow firm step to the stone-block he placed his left foot upon
it, drew himself up to his full height, and fixed a look so stern upon Jonathan,
that the thief-taker quailed before it. On examining the door, he found it secured by a large rusty lock, which he
endeavoured to pick with the nail he had just acquired; but all his efforts proving
ineffectual, he removed the plate that covered it with the bar, and with his fingers
contrived to draw back the bolt. For the first time a
definite doubt possessed him. ‘The secret passage!’
It did not take long to find the mechanism of the candlesconce that opened the
door. ‘I can’t do that. The neighbouring houses were tenanted by the lowest order of
insolvent traders, thieves, mendicants, and other worthless and nefarious
characters, who fled thither to escape from their creditors, or to avoid the
punishment due to their different offenses; for we may observe that the Old
Mint, although it had been divested of some of its privileges as a sanctuary by a
recent statute passed in the reign of William the Third, still presented a safe
asylum to the debtor, and even continued to do so until the middle of the reign of
George the First, when the crying nature of the evil called loudly for a remedy,
and another and more sweeping enactment entirely took away its immunities. The cage at Willesden was, and is—for it is still standing—a small round
building about eight feet high, with a pointed tiled roof, to which a number of
boards, inscribed with the names of the parish officers, and charged with a
multitude of admonitory notices to vagrants and other disorderly persons, are
attached. Herculis was
surrounded by an archipelago, which local chroniclers had
claimed was teeming with mermaids. Money was not necessary; indeed, it would
have embarrassed all concerned. "You are complimentary, Sir Rowland," returned the other, with a grim smile. "
"Mercy!" cried Mrs.
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This video was uploaded to golfrealestateonline.com on 04-07-2024 17:06:16