BARNABY RUDGE.
“The Golden Key”—the house of honest Gabriel Varden, the locksmith—was in Clerkenwell, situated in a quiet street not far from the Charter House—
“A modest building, not very straight, not large, not tall, not bold-faced, with great staring windows, but a shy, blinking house, with a conical roof going up into a peak over its garret window of four small panes of glass, like a cocked hat on the head of an elderly gentleman with one eye. It was not built of brick, or lofty stone, but of wood and plaster; it was not planned with a dull and wearisome regard to regularity, for no one window matched the other, or seemed to have the slightest reference to anything beside itself.”
This was its description one hundred years ago, and its exact whereabouts cannot now be ascertained. There are some old plaster-fronted houses, evidently belonging to the last century, still to be found in Albemarle Street, near St. John’s Square, but none of these fairly correspond with the description of “The Golden Key.”
The Cellar of Mr. Stagg was situated in Barbican. We read that its position was “in one of the narrowest of the narrow streets which diverge from that centre, in a blind court or yard, profoundly dark, unpaved, and reeking with stagnant odours.”
“The Black Lion” Tavern can only be identified as being situated in Whitechapel. It was a favourite resort of Mr. John Willett, landlord of the “Maypole Inn” at Chigwell, when he came to town; and we may remember it as the scene of Dolly Varden’s satisfactory interview with her lover Joe, after his return from “the Salwanners.”
MARTIN CHUZZLEWIT.
Anthony Chuzzlewit and Son had their place of business near Aldersgate Street. Their dreary residence was the bridal home of Mercy Pecksniff—married by Jonas Chuzzlewit—and we may recollect her reception at this establishment by the worthy Sairey Gamp. To this house Jonas returned after the murder of Montague Tigg, and was here arrested by his relative Chevy Slyme, in the presence of his uncle and Mark Tapley. Its situation is described as being in
“A very narrow street, somewhere behind the Post Office, where every house was in the brightest summer morning very gloomy; and where light porters watered the pavement, each before his own employer’s premises, in fantastic patterns in the dog-days; and where spruce gentlemen, with their hands in the pockets of symmetrical trousers, were always to be seen in warm weather contemplating their undeniable boots in dusty warehouse doorways, which appeared to be the hardest work they did, except now and then carrying pens behind their ears.”
Montague Tigg, Esq., the Chairman of the Anglo-Bengalee Insurance Company, lived in luxurious chambers in Pall Mall; and we may remember the morning when Jonas Chuzzlewit called at the residence of his chief, and was disagreeably surprised to find his friend in full possession of his secret history—with Mr. Nadgett in attendance.