the Bow-street men from London; extinct red waistcoated police there were two groups—the Bow Street Runners and the Bow Street Patrol. The latter wore red uniforms, worked as patrols in London, and were often confused with the former. The Runners were plainclothes detectives in London who often went out into the provinces to investigate serious crimes.
stile a step or set of steps used in climbing over a fence or wall. Another definition is a turnstile or post with revolving horizontal bars, placed in an entrance to allow the passage of persons but not of horses, cattle, and so on. Pip and Biddy are walking on the marshes near the sluice-gate, which is a gate that controls the flow of water onto the marshes. Either definition—a turnstile or a wall with steps climbing over the wall—works here because either one may be used to prevent animals and unaware persons from getting hurt near the sluice-gate.
supposititious case hypothetical case.
