| The victim repulsed his suit, regretting a... 531 |
[Feb. 1st, 2010|02:46 am] |
The victim repulsed his suit, regretting a thousand times that she
had stabbed her ancient lover At last, bidden summarily to choose
between Death and the Clerk, she chose the Clerk, and thus Ralph Briscoe
left Newgate the richest squire in a western county Henceforth he
farmed his land like a gentleman, drank with those of his neighbours who
would crack a bottle with him, and unlocked the strange stores of his
memory to bumpkins who knew not the name of Newgate Still devoted
to sport, he hunted the fox, and made such a bull-ring as his youthful
imagination could never have pictured So he lived a life of country ease,
and died a churchwarden And he deserved his prosperity, for he carried
the soul of Falstaff in the shrunken body of Justice Shallow
A BOOK OF SCOUNDRELS
GILDEROY AND THE
SIXTEEN- STRING JACK
I GILDEROY
HE stood six feet ten in his stockinged feet, and was the tallest ruffian
that ever cut a purse or held up a coach on the highway A mass of black
hair curled over a low forehead, and a glittering eye intensified his
villainous aspect |
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