garbage, violence, and unattractive locales. Why would anyone want to go to such places voluntarily, when they might stay comfortably at home? Why should she? Well, there was the danger, of course. And danger had an attraction all its own, for some people.
“I wish it were possible to arrest all the criminals—every last one—and send them to Tasmania,” she said.
“It isn’t possible, I’m afraid. What we really want is a strategy to prevent the commission of crimes in the first place.”
“You’re right, Frank. That would make far more sense. But it would also take a long time to see any results, and something should be done immediately. Law-abiding citizens are virtual prisoners after dark, cowering in their houses, afraid to go out. It’s not even safe to visit the theater or the opera, despite the presence of so many other people.”
“What do they expect?” Frank asked her. “People refuse to vote for a police force, because they’re afraid it’ll be a government spy system like the one they have in France. Londoners don’t want their liberty threatened.”
“Ridiculous!” snorted Arabella.
“Not at all—it will be threatened! We have good laws here, that no one pays any attention to, at present. It’s unlawful to wander about drunk and disorderly; illegal to pick up a girl on a street corner for salacious doings. Half the practical jokes the bucks and dandies play on each other should by rights earn them a pleasant holiday in the stone jug! (Newgate, miss.) Nobody wants to be nicked for those things. Particularly the nobs, and they would be, if the laws were enforced.”
“Well,” said Arabella, “things would definitely be different if women had the vote.”
“Yes,” said her escort, who had always harbored a private respect for the fair sex. “No doubt, no doubt. Life would be safer if cooler heads prevailed.”
A rowboat was pulling silently along the river toward them, its red and green lights winking in the darkness.
“That’ll be the River Patrol,” said Frank quietly, as they watched the boat draw nearer. “I’m thinking of going over to them.”
“What! You’d leave the Runners?”
“I’m considering it. They’ve passed me over for promotion twice now, and the River Patrol has offered me a captaincy.”
“Well,” said Arabella uncertainly, “that is something, isn’t it? What is it these fellows do, exactly?”
“They patrol the river by night, miss.”
“No, I know that, but why? What are they looking for?”
“Thieves, mostly. Because there’s no effective way to lock up a boat, you see.”
Arabella’s mind was racing: Would Frank really leave the Runners? He was such a useful connection! A river patrol captain would not be nearly as valuable to her, but Frank was prattling on as though he’d already accepted the post:
“Just imagine what it would be like if all the merchants on Bond Street were to leave their shop doors wide open behind them when they went home at night. That’s what the Thames is like after dark.”
“I should think you’d be bored, Frank, spending your nights rowing up and down, looking for thieves.”
“The job also requires body retrieval, miss. Occasionally the river police are able to save suicides before they drown. Seems a waste of time, though, as they just have to hand them over to the hangman.”
“How beastly! It seems to me that a person should have the right to take his own life if he wants to.”
Frank was shocked. “Oh, by no means, miss! That’s a crime against God!”
“Oh, well; put it out of your mind, then,” said Arabella, whose views on the subject were somewhat unorthodox.
“Yes, miss; that I will!”
By now, the patrol boat was almost directly beneath them, and Frank, spotting an officer he knew, waved his arms. “Hoy!” he cried. “Up here!”
The man in the bow raised his lantern.
“Cap’n Dysart,” he called, cupping his free hand around his mouth. “Something here for you,
“I wish it were possible to arrest all the criminals—every last one—and send them to Tasmania,” she said.
“It isn’t possible, I’m afraid. What we really want is a strategy to prevent the commission of crimes in the first place.”
“You’re right, Frank. That would make far more sense. But it would also take a long time to see any results, and something should be done immediately. Law-abiding citizens are virtual prisoners after dark, cowering in their houses, afraid to go out. It’s not even safe to visit the theater or the opera, despite the presence of so many other people.”
“What do they expect?” Frank asked her. “People refuse to vote for a police force, because they’re afraid it’ll be a government spy system like the one they have in France. Londoners don’t want their liberty threatened.”
“Ridiculous!” snorted Arabella.
“Not at all—it will be threatened! We have good laws here, that no one pays any attention to, at present. It’s unlawful to wander about drunk and disorderly; illegal to pick up a girl on a street corner for salacious doings. Half the practical jokes the bucks and dandies play on each other should by rights earn them a pleasant holiday in the stone jug! (Newgate, miss.) Nobody wants to be nicked for those things. Particularly the nobs, and they would be, if the laws were enforced.”
“Well,” said Arabella, “things would definitely be different if women had the vote.”
“Yes,” said her escort, who had always harbored a private respect for the fair sex. “No doubt, no doubt. Life would be safer if cooler heads prevailed.”
A rowboat was pulling silently along the river toward them, its red and green lights winking in the darkness.
“That’ll be the River Patrol,” said Frank quietly, as they watched the boat draw nearer. “I’m thinking of going over to them.”
“What! You’d leave the Runners?”
“I’m considering it. They’ve passed me over for promotion twice now, and the River Patrol has offered me a captaincy.”
“Well,” said Arabella uncertainly, “that is something, isn’t it? What is it these fellows do, exactly?”
“They patrol the river by night, miss.”
“No, I know that, but why? What are they looking for?”
“Thieves, mostly. Because there’s no effective way to lock up a boat, you see.”
Arabella’s mind was racing: Would Frank really leave the Runners? He was such a useful connection! A river patrol captain would not be nearly as valuable to her, but Frank was prattling on as though he’d already accepted the post:
“Just imagine what it would be like if all the merchants on Bond Street were to leave their shop doors wide open behind them when they went home at night. That’s what the Thames is like after dark.”
“I should think you’d be bored, Frank, spending your nights rowing up and down, looking for thieves.”
“The job also requires body retrieval, miss. Occasionally the river police are able to save suicides before they drown. Seems a waste of time, though, as they just have to hand them over to the hangman.”
“How beastly! It seems to me that a person should have the right to take his own life if he wants to.”
Frank was shocked. “Oh, by no means, miss! That’s a crime against God!”
“Oh, well; put it out of your mind, then,” said Arabella, whose views on the subject were somewhat unorthodox.
“Yes, miss; that I will!”
By now, the patrol boat was almost directly beneath them, and Frank, spotting an officer he knew, waved his arms. “Hoy!” he cried. “Up here!”
The man in the bow raised his lantern.
“Cap’n Dysart,” he called, cupping his free hand around his mouth. “Something here for you,
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