As three weeks had now elapsed since the robbery at Winchester, and all talk of it had ceased, Ralph determined2 on springing his plant, or, in plain terms, securing his booty. For this purpose he provided himself at Portsmouth with a new travelling trunk, which he conveyed per coach to his destination. On his arrival at the latter place, his first care was to fix his abode3 at an inn near his precious deposit, his next to see that all was right in the coppice where it lay. Having satisfied himself in this particular, he waited until evening, when, by means of two different visits to the spot, he removed the whole of the articles, without exciting any suspicion, to his present headquarters, which he left next morning for London, where he arrived in due course without accident.
His next care was to dispose of the various articles produced by his enterprise. For this purpose he selected an accommodating Israelite, whose fame had been very often spoken of in the gaol5 he had left as a safe fence, and a perfect pattern for all cross coves6. A dingy7 marine8 store shop in a court leading to the Minories was the domicile of this descendant of a chosen people, and thither9 one evening Ralph bent10 his way. Our adventurer expected to see in Mr Jacobs a withered11 and filthy12 old being, similar in external appearance to those of his race who then perambulated the metropolis13 as dealers14 in cast-off clothing. His surprise, therefore, was great when, upon enquiring15 from a little Jewess in the shop for the master of it, a man in the prime of life, and of most respectable exterior17, was shown to him. Having been provided with a password, as a shibboleth18 of introduction, known only to the initiated19, he was not long before he spoke4 his errand, and it was agreed that they should meet at Rashleigh’s lodgings20 the next forenoon in order to make their bargain.
At the time appointed Mr J. made his entree21. Ralph was prepared with a list and specimens22 of what he had to sell, as he did not deem it altogether prudent23 to acquaint his new associate with too much at once, nor did he wish to let him know that all the property was then in that house. After overlooking both list and articles with a very businesslike air, Mr Jacobs said to Ralph. “Vell, how mosh do you vant for de lot?”
“At a word, one thousand pounds.”
“Mine Gott! Are you mad? Vere you tink all dat money shall come from?”
“Oh, Mr Jacobs! You know you could easily find twenty times as much money as that, and I am sure they are a very great bargain!”
“I vill tell you vat24 it ish. Py mine vord, I never did know de monish so shcarce in all de days of my life; and is pesides, if I was to porrow so mosh, to puy all dis lot of trinkets, ven de devil you tink I get all my monish pack again? Eh? Can you tell me dat?”
“Well, well, Mr Jacobs, if money is really so scarce, you can buy half of what’s on the list, and I will look out for another mark to take the rest. What will you give for the fair half? You know, we can divide them into two heaps, and toss up for first choice!”
“Mine Gott! Vat a hurry to be in! Vell, let me see, let me see . . . All dese bracelets25 . . . very poor, very poor . . . all French . . . all French and Jarman . . . Bad gold, bad gold . . . Sell petter in England dan over de vater. Put if I puy dem dey mosht go to Hambro’ . . . Vell, I vill tell you at vun vord how mosh I vill give you. I vill give . . . Yes, I vill give you . . . free hundred pounds for de fair half . . . de monish in your hand. So take it or leave it.”
As he said this he pulled out an immense roll of bank notes from some cunningly contrived27 pocket beneath his arm, and rose at the same time as if to go away if the other did not take his offer.
Ralph only replied, “’Tis too little. Say ￡350.”
‘Not I, py mine Gott! Shall I go?”
“Yes. If you won’t give any more than that we can’t deal.”
The Jew seized the knob of the door, partly opened it, then returned close to Rashleigh, and said in a mysterious whisper, “I vill give ￡640 for de whole.”
Ralph shook his head, and Mr Jacobs ran out of the room and downstairs.
Our adventurer had arisen from his seat and gone to the window in order to watch the Israelite, intending, if he actually left the house, to follow him, when Mr Jacobs again returned, closed the door after him, and said. “Now I vill give you ￡650 for dem all, and upon my shoul, I don’t expect to get a finif (￡5 note) py de pargain. But I vant to send some jewels to Hambro’, and dese vill do as vell as any.”
At last Ralph agreed to take ￡660, which was forthwith paid down by the buyer in Bank of England notes, after which he departed with the portmanteau and jewellery.
For some rime16 after this Rashleigh led an idle dissipated life, frequently appearing at the theatres, gaming-houses, etc., until the slippery goddess took it into her head to desert him, and he found himself nearly penniless. It now became necessary for him to bestir himself.
Fortune happened to throw in his way an acquaintance, in the person of a female who had formerly28 been a servant to his employer, with whom he had had a liaison29, which he now renewed. She at present lived in the service of an elderly gentleman of great wealth in Welbeck Street. Our adventurer procured31 by her means admittance into this her master’s house and thus enjoyed ample opportunities of observing the locality of the butler’s pantry, where he learned the plate was kept.
In order to succeed in the plan he had formed for plundering32 the place, however, it was necessary for him to procure30 an associate in his enterprise; and he thought himself lucky that about this time he accidentally met in the street one of his quondam companions at Maidstone Gaol. This man was now very seedy in appearance. Having only just been liberated33, and being without a shilling, he was ripe for anything that could tend to put money in his pocket. With him, therefore, Ralph made his arrangements, and all being duly prepared, a hackney coachman, who had frequently served Ralph’s associate before in similar transactions, was engaged to be in waiting at a public-house near the scene of their intended operations, so that he might be at hand to receive the booty.
The same night, about twelve o’clock, Ralph and his pal34 went to the spot, fully35 prepared for action with all the usual implements36 of housebreaking. There was as usual a circular iron plate let into the pavement, to admit of coals being shot into the cellar beneath. This was lifted up, and Ralph, who was then but very slender, got down without difficulty. The covering was then replaced by his associate, who retired37 to some distance, while Ralph, who was well provided with skeleton keys, speedily got out of the cellar and through several doors into the butler’s pantry, where he found the plate, apparently38 packed up, as if for a journey! He soon carried it all into the cellar. Nothing had as yet occurred to alarm him; but just at this moment a small dog, who was asleep in the area, awoke and came running towards him. Upon smelling his legs, the dog only fawned39 upon him, because he had been sprinkled with a liquor which never fails to neutralise the opposition40 of the most ferocious41 dog.
Ralph now locked himself into the cellar, where he awaited most impatiently the approach of his associate, who was to have returned in half an hour with the coach; but more than two hours elapsed before they came, during which our adventurer was a prey42 to the fiercest pangs43 of uncertainty44 and apprehension45. At length the appointed signal was given and the coach stopped. The plate was quickly transferred to it, and in a few minutes they were driving rapidly towards Paddington, where a furnished room had been taken by Ralph the day before. On arrival, they soon secured their booty, paid the jarvey, and lay down to rest. The next day, being resolved to lose no time, Ralph went to the house of a well known fence in Saint Mary Axe46, where everything was so very well regulated and the system adopted so cunning, that it seemed to have reached the very pitch of perfection, insomuch that the buyer never saw the seller nor the seller the buyer, thus effectually preventing any after chance of unpleasant recognition. There was a box turning in a wall, so contrived that upon placing any article you wished to dispose of within it and ringing a bell, the box revolved47. After the lapse1 of a few minutes it again turned, and in lieu of the article left, a sum of money, being the price the proprietor48 was willing to pay for it, made its appearance. If the seller refused to take this he again rang the bell, when his article was returned; but no second offer was ever made. It may easily be conceived that this establishment must have met with great support. In fact, it was the means of immense gain to its proprietor, who thus fixed49 his own price for all that he bought. But still, the thieves of London much approved of the principle, as they were never seen by anyone while disposing of their ill-gotten booty — thus removing at least one great cause for fear of detection. It was therefore continually well supported; and so cunningly did the owner contrive26, that although his premises50 were repeatedly searched upon the best-founded suspicions that there was stolen property concealed51 therein, yet nothing was ever found to warrant a conviction.
Once a police officer chased a thief who had stolen a silver teapot from a gentleman’s breakfast table and kept him in full view until he arrived at the door of the house in question. In ran the thief. In two minutes the officer was after him; but there being two doors to the shop, nobody was there. The house was searched from top to bottom, and nothing was found like a silver teapot.
The fact was that next door to this place the owner’s brother had a concealed crucible52, which was constantly kept in operation, and which communicated also with the house in question. In this every article bought that would melt was instantly thrown, so that no matter how costly53 the workmanship, in a few minutes any sized piece of plate was converted into what the fence used jocularly to call his “vite soop”.
To this famed spot Rashleigh now repaired and soon ascertained54 the price he could get for the plate. It was but 2s. 6d. per ounce; yet this was pretty fair upon the cross, and the confederates divided ￡200 between them as the proceeds of their night’s spoil.
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1
lapse
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| n.过失，流逝，失效，抛弃信仰，间隔；vi.堕落，停止，失效，流逝；vt.使失效 | |
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determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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abode
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| n.住处，住所 | |
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4
spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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5
gaol
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| n.(jail)监狱；(不加冠词)监禁；vt.使…坐牢 | |
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coves
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| n.小海湾( cove的名词复数 )；家伙 | |
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dingy
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| adj.昏暗的，肮脏的 | |
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marine
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| adj.海的；海生的；航海的；海事的；n.水兵 | |
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9
thither
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| adv.向那里；adj.在那边的，对岸的 | |
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bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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11
withered
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| adj. 枯萎的，干瘪的，（人身体的部分器官）因病萎缩的或未发育良好的 动词wither的过去式和过去分词形式 | |
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12
filthy
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| adj.卑劣的；恶劣的，肮脏的 | |
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13
metropolis
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| n.首府；大城市 | |
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14
dealers
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| n.商人( dealer的名词复数 )；贩毒者；毒品贩子；发牌者 | |
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15
enquiring
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| a.爱打听的，显得好奇的 | |
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rime
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| n.白霜；v.使蒙霜 | |
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exterior
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| adj.外部的，外在的；表面的 | |
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18
shibboleth
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| n.陈规陋习；口令；暗语 | |
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initiated
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| n. 创始人 adj. 新加入的 vt. 开始，创始，启蒙，介绍加入 | |
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20
lodgings
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| n. 出租的房舍, 寄宿舍 | |
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entree
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| n.入场权，进入权 | |
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specimens
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| n.样品( specimen的名词复数 )；范例；（化验的）抽样；某种类型的人 | |
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23
prudent
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| adj.谨慎的，有远见的，精打细算的 | |
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24
vat
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| n.(=value added tax)增值税，大桶 | |
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25
bracelets
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| n.手镯，臂镯( bracelet的名词复数 ) | |
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26
contrive
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| vt.谋划，策划；设法做到；设计，想出 | |
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27
contrived
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| adj.不自然的，做作的；虚构的 | |
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28
formerly
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| adv.从前，以前 | |
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liaison
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| n.联系，（未婚男女间的）暖昧关系，私通 | |
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30
procure
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| vt.获得，取得，促成；vi.拉皮条 | |
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31
procured
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| v.（努力）取得， （设法）获得( procure的过去式和过去分词 )；拉皮条 | |
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32
plundering
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| 掠夺，抢劫( plunder的现在分词 ) | |
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33
liberated
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| a.无拘束的，放纵的 | |
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34
pal
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| n.朋友，伙伴，同志；vi.结为友 | |
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35
fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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36
implements
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| n.工具( implement的名词复数 )；家具；手段；[法律]履行（契约等）v.实现( implement的第三人称单数 )；执行；贯彻；使生效 | |
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37
retired
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| adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的 | |
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38
apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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39
fawned
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| v.（尤指狗等）跳过来往人身上蹭以示亲热( fawn的过去式和过去分词 )；巴结；讨好 | |
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40
opposition
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| n.反对，敌对 | |
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41
ferocious
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| adj.凶猛的，残暴的，极度的，十分强烈的 | |
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42
prey
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| n.被掠食者，牺牲者，掠食；v.捕食，掠夺，折磨 | |
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43
pangs
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| 突然的剧痛( pang的名词复数 )； 悲痛 | |
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44
uncertainty
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| n.易变，靠不住，不确知，不确定的事物 | |
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45
apprehension
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| n.理解，领悟；逮捕，拘捕；忧虑 | |
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46
axe
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| n.斧子；v.用斧头砍，削减 | |
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47
revolved
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| v.（使）旋转( revolve的过去式和过去分词 )；细想 | |
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48
proprietor
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| n.所有人；业主；经营者 | |
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49
fixed
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| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
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50
premises
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| n.建筑物，房屋 | |
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51
concealed
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| a.隐藏的，隐蔽的 | |
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52
crucible
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| n.坩锅，严酷的考验 | |
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53
costly
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| adj.昂贵的，价值高的，豪华的 | |
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54
ascertained
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| v.弄清，确定，查明( ascertain的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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