The Mysteries of the Court of London Vol. 7 — page 224: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

@! aoe Gemma nage THE MYSTEKIES OF THE COURT. we BA Seneee are ww commerce be gards at all. It could not have becn to as- rist her brother that sho had hecn so sud- denly pressed for monvy: because if so, tle intervention of the man Shadbolt wonld havo been unnecossary. Thatit was one debt, aud not severul, which she had paid the might before lust, was to be argued from the fact of only ono creditor, or one creditor's representative, baving. called to assert a pe- cuniary claim. Who, then, could be this ono ereditor to whom she had contracted so nimense a liobility ?—for asa matter of course sap krederick felt convinced that Anari atia, wid Anwstutin only, had emptied tho ca.h-box of its contents. “or w» moment the merchant thoucht of proceedings straight 14o his wife to question | i6r on the subject: but this idea he the next iuytant banished from his mind. Ho had told: longer a mystery: 211 om ori was one that fitted; and now that morchant who was usually all businoss-like deliboration in his procecdings, was hasty, quick, and even nervous in what ho was doing. Ho was afraid that his wifo or w servant might enter and erurprise him in tho midst of an action which he felt to be mean and pitiful, although perhaps not altogether without justa- fication under the circumstanges. Ile turned over the papers: ho tovk up a pink-tomted billet; and on roading the name of Madaine Augeliqne, a dark expression camo over his countenance. Hv perused its contouts. It demanded five hundrod and sixty-three pounds, “as per bill delivered;” and it intimated that Mr. Isance Shadbolt was en)owered to receive the amount. ‘This indifiduul’s two visith to ‘Tudor Houre were thereforo no bub there were other her to say nothwe more on the -ubject—ho ) arcum dances which were very far from being himself had avoided it; he felt that, there wold be something menn, httle, and paltry in re-openin: that topic, masmuch as the very prefutory words which m= such a case he would have to utter must be to the elfect that she had taken «a much larger sumethan he | . ! satisfactory to sir Frederick Latham. "A your has olapsed,’ he muttercd te him. self, ‘sinco T expressly desired Annsatalia to deave off douling with that womin whose Infamous charactor T accidentally di covered, and which I mentioned to my wie us my hed anticipated or imtended. Novertheless, | reason for the reqnest that Lt mude at the sir frederick was resolved to iusti{ute some: tune. She must have disobeyed me—ahe must investigation. His mind was troubled; sua- picions, vague and indefinite, were reune up in lus brain. He remoaubered his wife's con- fusion when a week back he had soupht her in the drawmg-reom unmedately after her first, interview with Shadbo!l: he natuarall, con- sidered that {here was something strange in the imanner in which this same Shadbolt had como to perseente hee on the might that ally Was receiving company—stranga alvo that she should have been so much troubled when his visit was annonneed—anl lhat with a sort of terror she shon)d herve «* -4 do him an interview insted of with biopis os teanary bidding hun cajl on oa tfnture diy an yw incre sttable oecasion. And now, too, Sir irederick bethought himself of the way in wingh Anastatia had swept her letters and papers into her dev on that affertnoon when he (Sir Frederick) had songht her m= the drawing-room, as alreidy alluded to, All {hese reflections dionbled the great City mer. chant, and in soite of himself he fall those suspicions Which wero watatiny his mind, euthering streneth and power, although of so , vice and indefinite a chiraeter. From what tha reader has seen of the werchant’s disposition, ho may have compre- houded that beneath a certain exterior show of cold pride and subdued ostentation, there was no smn) amount of real meunne.s and pottiness. These Iittlo feslines were oven now Yising uppermost; and under thoir in- fluence Nix Frederick found himse‘{ leaving the study and making his way np to “that apartment where Anastalia’s wriling-desk uznally sLood npou a small table m a recess, On entermg this apartment, Sir rede iwk »Jorked at the writing-desk with an expression of countennnco as if he wero saying to himself, “That desk doubtless contuuus the cans of elucidating this myatory !”’ As he immadintely alterwards slowly glanced around, he beheld a small bunch of keys lyimg upon another table. The temptation was irresistible: indeed the prosonce of tho.e keys was precisoly what the morchant was desiring at the instant. He took them up: tho ver first which he applied to tho writing-dosk —_- -—_ ep Pa —~ eee coe have since bien secretly deal ng there!” Graver and darker. as wellas mora definite hecame the qwerehant’s suspicions; and he hastened to look over the rest of the pupers which he tound in the desk. Thero wero all Madame Angeliquo’s bills, duly receipicd at dates shorly atter they were sent ms; and there was no bill of & date lator than {hoe period when, a year back, Air Fredemek hand = so expressly desired Jur wife to d:scontinae her patronave of Madame Angeligue’s nolimary ettabhishment. nt amongst those pipers was tho recuipt given by Mr. Shadbolf for the sum specitied in the yink-tinted billet. Six Fredernet? sue eon "awed mito the correct. chanued.. acresir 68. Iilletas the yelrete of um e\te for Loh wafe’s econduce liself naturally apposed to be rephte witn cases for misgivine ond diatrust. ° Wherefore,” asked Sie Frederich of hin. were, “whould sha hive taken upwards of two thousand pounds to puy a bill of between five and six hundred ?” There were no other documents in {he desi. Which at® all interested the merchaut: ho arraneved the Bapera in the order in wlich hy haul found them -be closed the de-k- he de- podled the keys on the other table --and he | | issued from the apartment. His mind was wready mado up how to act; ho ordered his horse—and dispensing with the attendance of g vroomn, rode forth alone. Bitton [il was svon reached; and giving his horse to a Joitering boy to hold, Sar Frederick Lathan knocked at the door of Madame Aneehque's villa. ‘She retired wmillmer was at home, and the mer. ehant was econductcl into her presenee, Versomuly he was a stranger to her; and ap ho gave no name bo the pretty sorvant-girl wh¢ answered the door, Madame Angeliqu unuware Who the visitor was, as what his business miurht be. She saw ws was cold and rever,cd in his manner: hat she, on the other band, was all affubility and courtesy as sho desired. him to be seated. “Perhaps you will know my name, Madame Angelique,” bev in the merehont. ““when I announce if as Sir frederick Latham.” The ox-nuilliner was startled ; and her uilty Ld = = = _ = ELOOO SS (CO)