The Mysteries of the Court of London Vol. 7 — page 225: what you’re looking at

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

Ree que as aE a 212 Qe conscience instantaneously smote her with the idea that her recent successful extortion, the proceeds of which she had duly shared with : + SADE, was known to the victim's hus- and. “Whether you have anything to fear as the result of my visit,’’ continued Sir Frederick, depends entirely on yourself. If you answer all my questions ina manner proving that you are responding faithfully and truthfully, you have nothing to apprehend: bat, if on the other hand, you prevaricate or attempt to de- ceive me, I shall at once take measures which you will repent.”’ ‘©Good heavens, sir, what do you moan ?P’’ faltcred tho terrified Frenchwoman, now bitter] repenting fer folly in having jeopardized herse — after having so well escaped from former orils. pe Lady Anastatia Latham,” continued the morchant, fixing his cold eyes on the ex-milliner ‘“‘ very recently paid some five or six hundre pounds to an agent of your’s by the mame of Shadbolt. You see that I know everything ; and it is therefore hardly necessary that F should allude to your billet in which you mado that demand.’’ ‘‘Oh! I will give back the money at once, Sir Frederick !’’ exclaimed the terrified French- woman, quailing beneath the merchant’s cold searching gaze. ‘‘ No—that is not the object of my visit,”’ ho responded. ‘I care nothing for the monoy. All the world knows that to Sir Frederick Latham such & sum is as @® drop of water to the ocean. You confess that you had no real claim to that money f”’ ‘‘It ia but too clear, Sir Frederick,’’ replied Madame Angelique, ‘ that you know this much already. But what do you want of moe ?’’—and she quivered from head to foot. “T want you to tell me,” rejoined the mer- chant, with a coldly resolute air, “by what means you gained such pgwer—such ascendancy over my wife—the means by which you were enabled to exercise this terrorism—this coer- cionP Speak candidly, Madame Angelique; and I will not merely forgive you for the extor- tion—an extortion which would transport y8ua —but I will go so far as to deelare that no evil nor inconvenience shall result to you from whatsoever information you may give me. Come, shall I assist you? Well, then, let me at onco proclaim my knowledge that your lato establishment was not altogether for millinery urposes. P “Oh ! but, Sir Frederick,’’ exclaimed Madame Angelique, “what—what will become of poor tia p’? Anasta “s Yon have almost said sufficient in those fow words,” answered the merchant, quiveri inwardly, though outwardly he still betray no emotion, “‘to prevent me from wishing to continue this. discourse. Nevertheless you muat 6 out: if you bave any regard for ourself, you will have none for Lady Anasta- tia. Come, be quick !—explain whatsoever you may have to lance.” me without more useless par- ‘‘T will, Sir Frederick— I will,” replied Ma- dame Angelique. ‘‘ Lady Anastatia—Ah! it is that you should drive me to this confession !—certainly did make use of my establishment in a particular way——” “She received a paramour there?” said the merdhant, still speaking in a low voice which trembled not. = aah _—— Eee lO =Be =— « Bay geek ae il mie a Gates eee eee OED of ae ft. THE MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. “‘ Well, yes, Sir Frederick. Women will be women——”’ “ Proceed, madam,” he said sternly. “ My wife met paramour at your house? How long was this ago P’ “* Well, Sir Frederick, the first time it might have been between two and three years— perhaps quite three years—as far as I can recollec ” * Profligate even befdre marriage!” muttered the merchant to himself. ‘‘Go on, Madame Angelique,” he added audibly. ‘“ How often do you suppose——”” “Oh, not very often, sir!—a very few times !” exclaimed Madame Angelique. “And has this ever taken place within the last two years P” inquired the merchant, thus including the period which had elapsed since his uiarriage with Lady Anastatia. “ Well, Sir Frederick,”’ rejoined the French- woman, “to tell the truth, there may have been some three or fcur interviows within the term you namd—but this was more than a year ago —indeed for tho last twelvemonth I have seon nothing of Lady Anastatia—and she snddenly ceased to deal with me.’’ ‘‘Now teli me, Madame Angelique,” con- tinued the merchant, “who was the paramour that my guilty wife thus met? Or perhaps there was moro than one?” he added, with a slight perceptible bittefness of tone. ** No—only one: of that I am certain,” an- swered the Fronchwoman. ‘‘ But I really do not know his name——indoed I don’t think I over saw him——”’ ‘‘“NoP I presume because ho was admitted into your houso from that of your accommodat- ing neighbour, M. Bertin, next door ?’’—and there was now a more porceptible tincture of bitterness in Sir Frederick Latham’s ac- cents. “Ts it possiblo that you wore ever in my housoP” asked Madame Angelique. ‘ITP Never, madam!’ and the merchant —— himself up with a cold disdainful: hau- eur. ‘‘I beg your pardon, Sir Fredorick,@ said Madame Angelique : “but as you seem to know everything, Iethought perhaps—pray excuse me——I intended no offenca-——some of the first people have been in my late establish- ment——’’ ‘““So it appears,” said the merchant, half drily, half bitterly; ‘‘female as well as male. But can yon not afford me any clue to the dis- covery of this paramour of my wife’sP Do you not know, madam, ‘that it is now a husband who is seeking to learn the author of his dishonour— the name of thé villain who has wrecked his happiness——No, not wrecked his happiness ! not admit that the profligacies of a vile woman and of some unprinoipled libertine can wield so tremendous an influence over Sir eer Really Tam unable to gi inf “ am give you any infor- mation on that head———I vould if it were in my power———-I have no reason,” ‘continued e ue you. I very seldom saw the who came tosmy establishment: if was sufficient for me that any lady might say shu had made an appointment and was managed through the aid of trustworthy do- mestics——" “Do you think it would be of any use,” in- quired Sir Frederick Latham, “if I were’to go and question M. Bertin P”’ , ‘to conceal anything from - ECOMRniclacae SS (CO)