登陆注册
4807800000028

第28章

SCOTLAND-YARD

Scotland-yard is a small - a very small-tract of land, bounded on one side by the river Thames, on the other by the gardens of Northumberland House: abutting at one end on the bottom of Northumberland-street, at the other on the back of Whitehall-place.

When this territory was first accidentally discovered by a country gentleman who lost his way in the Strand, some years ago, the original settlers were found to be a tailor, a publican, two eating-house keepers, and a fruit-pie maker; and it was also found to contain a race of strong and bulky men, who repaired to the wharfs in Scotland-yard regularly every morning, about five or six o'clock, to fill heavy waggons with coal, with which they proceeded to distant places up the country, and supplied the inhabitants with fuel. When they had emptied their waggons, they again returned for a fresh supply; and this trade was continued throughout the year.

As the settlers derived their subsistence from ministering to the wants of these primitive traders, the articles exposed for sale, and the places where they were sold, bore strong outward marks of being expressly adapted to their tastes and wishes. The tailor displayed in his window a Lilliputian pair of leather gaiters, and a diminutive round frock, while each doorpost was appropriately garnished with a model of a coal-sack. The two eating-house keepers exhibited joints of a magnitude, and puddings of a solidity, which coalheavers alone could appreciate; and the fruit-pie maker displayed on his well-scrubbed window-board large white compositions of flour and dripping, ornamented with pink stains, giving rich promise of the fruit within, which made their huge mouths water, as they lingered past.

But the choicest spot in all Scotland-yard was the old public-house in the corner. Here, in a dark wainscoted-room of ancient appearance, cheered by the glow of a mighty fire, and decorated with an enormous clock, whereof the face was white, and the figures black, sat the lusty coalheavers, quaffing large draughts of Barclay's best, and puffing forth volumes of smoke, which wreathed heavily above their heads, and involved the room in a thick dark cloud. From this apartment might their voices be heard on a winter's night, penetrating to the very bank of the river, as they shouted out some sturdy chorus, or roared forth the burden of a popular song; dwelling upon the last few words with a strength and length of emphasis which made the very roof tremble above them.

Here, too, would they tell old legends of what the Thames was in ancient times, when the Patent Shot Manufactory wasn't built, and Waterloo-bridge had never been thought of; and then they would shake their heads with portentous looks, to the deep edification of the rising generation of heavers, who crowded round them, and wondered where all this would end; whereat the tailor would take his pipe solemnly from his mouth, and say, how that he hoped it might end well, but he very much doubted whether it would or not, and couldn't rightly tell what to make of it - a mysterious expression of opinion, delivered with a semi-prophetic air, which never failed to elicit the fullest concurrence of the assembled company; and so they would go on drinking and wondering till ten o'clock came, and with it the tailor's wife to fetch him home, when the little party broke up, to meet again in the same room, and say and do precisely the same things, on the following evening at the same hour.

About this time the barges that came up the river began to bring vague rumours to Scotland-yard of somebody in the city having been heard to say, that the Lord Mayor had threatened in so many words to pull down the old London-bridge, and build up a new one. At first these rumours were disregarded as idle tales, wholly destitute of foundation, for nobody in Scotland-yard doubted that if the Lord Mayor contemplated any such dark design, he would just be clapped up in the Tower for a week or two, and then killed off for high treason.

By degrees, however, the reports grew stronger, and more frequent, and at last a barge, laden with numerous chaldrons of the best Wallsend, brought up the positive intelligence that several of the arches of the old bridge were stopped, and that preparations were actually in progress for constructing the new one. What an excitement was visible in the old tap-room on that memorable night!

同类推荐
  • 嘉兴寒食

    嘉兴寒食

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 七元召魔伏六天神咒经

    七元召魔伏六天神咒经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 说文解字

    说文解字

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 河防一览

    河防一览

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 金碧五相类参同契

    金碧五相类参同契

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 叶底青梅

    叶底青梅

    在她还是江阳公主的时候,她以为她很了解叶少钧。到底也是青梅竹马呢,当她成为了谢纨纨之后,她发现她根本不了解叶少钧了。说好的青梅竹马呢?谢纨纨哭笑不得的想:换了个身体重新活过来的明明是她,可更不一样的,怎么反倒是叶少钧呢?
  • 鲁迅作品集(4)(中国现代文学名家作品集)

    鲁迅作品集(4)(中国现代文学名家作品集)

    自从中华民国建国二十有二年五月二十五日《自由谈》的编者刊出了“吁请海内文豪,从兹多谈风月”的启事以来,很使老牌风月文豪摇头晃脑的高兴了一大阵,讲冷话的也有,说俏皮话的也有,连只会做“文探”的叭儿们也翘起了它尊贵的尾巴。但有趣的是谈风云的人,风月也谈得,谈风月就谈风月罢,虽然仍旧不能正如尊意。
  • 痘疹心法要诀

    痘疹心法要诀

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 一笑解千愁:糗事百科系列(套装共6册)

    一笑解千愁:糗事百科系列(套装共6册)

    糗事百科是这个星球上最暴笑的真实糗事分享网站,每天都有600000网友在追贴,每秒都有60000余人在刷屏,是被年轻人奉为神的网站。全书精选网站中最热门最搞笑最幽默最倒霉最尴尬的糗事,相信一定会点燃你的幽默热情,挑战你的忍耐极限。《人生就像打电话》搜集网络上热门的一些二事、糗事、囧事,以及网络最为流行的笑话、短信、流行语,内容幽默、风趣,格调轻松明快,特别适合少年、青年读者群体阅读。学习工作之余,本书会给读者带去更多的放松和笑声。
  • 大学辨业

    大学辨业

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 我在三国养龙

    我在三国养龙

    火爆新书《大唐之怼人就变强》火热连载中。穿越东汉要做什么?先养条龙,然后招揽名将,训练士兵,用龙血淬炼神兵,用龙鳞造神甲。然后吊打吕布,拳轰曹操,脚踩刘备,鞭抽孙权……天下英雄皆归我所有!在我领土之中,太阳永不降落!老易书友QQ群:676-394-366
  • 捣蛋小姐戏皇宫

    捣蛋小姐戏皇宫

    去寺庙拜佛,莫名其妙就给我穿到古代,妈妈咪啊,我以后打死也不去寺庙了,穿就穿吧,最后居然让一个皇帝爱上了我,逼着我做他的皇妃,好吧,嫁就嫁,不过,从现在开始,你的皇宫注定没有一天的安宁!!别忘了,我可是有名的杀手,想要跟我玩,你们还嫩点!不把皇宫搅的天翻地覆,我誓不罢休!!
  • 渚宫旧事

    渚宫旧事

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 农场贵妇

    农场贵妇

    伊雪身患白血病,在生命最后,带着破碎的游戏空间到了架空的时代,开始她人生能够走完的历程。她穿越成一个贫穷的农家女,家徒四壁,满眼心酸;看她如何变身改变家庭困境,建立一个超级农场。建立大大的农场,开酒庄,五星大饭店、平民连锁店,做煤老板,将生意做到天边;学武功,成立私人警卫队,保家园;权贵为她折腰,士子为偶低头===只有他能让自己改变,也只有他能为自己改变。
  • 在你人生打拼时不看后悔的77句狠话

    在你人生打拼时不看后悔的77句狠话

    没有明确的生活方向,就无法发挥自己的潜力。本书精选适合人们在打拼时谨记的77句金玉良言,加以启人心智的思想哲理故事优化重组,引导人们正确认识、接纳和改变自己。本书态度直接,见解精辟,从耐力、格局、人脉、修养、态度、沟通、选择、成长等方面出发,句句点化我们内心的浮躁与迷茫。态度影响细节,细节决定成败,阅读本书你能拥有正向心态,看清人生方向,坚持内心的积极力量,更好地平衡生活,享受当下。