The Mysteries of the Court of London Vol. 7 — page 39: what you’re looking at

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

“I daresay it was, my lord,” replied Armytage, in manner much lesa reapectful than he was wont to observe towards hig patrician patjon. “T‘suppose that Mr. Coleman—the gentlemen whom you mentioned—disappointed you!” pro- ceeded the Duke, adopting a miore ¢afeiliatoty tone than at first. “ If it were so, there is certainly some excuse.” Armytage continued silent as he walked in ssew- ing moodiness by the Duke of Marchmont’s elde along the street. “ Yes—there would be an excge,” continued his Grace: “and therefore I could make allow- ances for you. But who is this Mr. Cole- man >?” “A solicitor. Your lordship knows it already,” rejuined Armytage: “I have told you so.” D “And did he fly from his word?” inguired the uke, Again Armytage was silent—but only for a few instants; and then he said, “To tell your wrrage tho truth, Mr. Coleman did #eé fly from bis : he advanced me the money———y%s, every farthibe of it!” added Zoe's father, as if with the bitterness of desperation. “ And you do not mean me to underetind that you have lost it all?” exclainied Marchmont in dismay. “Why, appears to melt out of THE MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. “'Yee—mad and foolish,” responded Armytage with almost the petulance of retort, “if it bad been my own money with which I was speoulating. but it was se¢/ And therefore what had I to do but to make the best of itP It was neck-or- nothing--riches ence more or utter rifin!” ° “ And when will the result be known P” inquired the Duke. “ Exactly one month hence,” replied Armytage. “One month? And wherefore are you so desponding aiid imistrustful now ?” « Becavse—Décatiie,” answered the speculator, “T have just bese réidiug the evening paper—and the intelligence ts ttifavourable for the particular way in which my mony fs laid out. Novertheless, things may take a tiirn!—to-morrow their aspect may be as favourable as to-day {6 is gloomy. But, Ob! what a life to lead, my lord !—at one time exultant with hope—at another cast down into the vortex of —yesterday dreaming of count- lees riches, to-day reoviling ip Korrér from the pre- sence of the grovelling mendicant who crawle past, with the hideous presentiment that his condition is & type of what mine may shortly be !” was another pause for some minutes, duritig which the Duke and the speculator con- tinued walking on together; and the silence was suddenly broken by the latter—who said in a milder money your pocket as quickly as in fornieé tinted it was} asd more respectful tone than he had hitherto wont to pour into it!’—then, as the thought struck his Grace, he said, “By heaven, Armytage, I am afraid that you gamble P” “Yes—gamble as some of the highest end wealthiest in the City of London gamble!” replied the epeculator,—“ not as you noblemen and gentle- men gamble at the West End in such places as} these:"--and he glanced towards a flood of light streaming forth from the portals of a splendid clubryhouse they were passing: “You mean on the Stock Exchange ?* said the Duke inquiringly. “J meanaon the Stock Exchange,” replied Armytage curtly. They contioued walking on together in dilence for a few minutes,—Armytige with his looke bent downward in moody reverie—the Duke of March- mont in anxious thought; for he was now sorry that he had addressed ‘the speculator at all, inas- much as he feared lest the interview should end by the demand for another loan. “ And is that enormous sum of fifty thousand pounds,” he at length asked,—“ which you obtained from Mr. Ooleman—is it all gone P” “ Heaven forbid!’ ejaculated Armytage, cluteb- ing the Duke's arm quickly and viciently, and looking up into hie face with a countenance whic, asthe nearest gas-lamp etreawned upon it, appeared absolutely ghastly. “Surely that question of yours was not prophetic of evil F No, no—I should be utterly, hopelessly ruined!” =, “Then what, in the name of heaven, have you done?” inguiréd the Duke: “apf why are yoa in this dreadfully pertarbed staté of sind P “Besmase I have ventared thé whele of that mat. aed 2 speculation which wilt diihe? in one ddy~#n one hour—I might almost say ik one mo- ean he me a fortwne-———or on the other haad;"—-be guiged for a rhoment, and thes added | pear! aaastt Po | ‘i is “Hoe mad! hint botish * endaled me Ys Vv) wy ov » “I am afraid your Grace must think I spoke ridely,and even brutally just now: but such waa the state of my mind——*’ “Sdy to tore upon the subject,” interrupted Marebraont, who perhaps bad his own reasons for not dedling Hirshly with the spesulator. “I can wake allowaneds for you. Your daughter—have MN hi Ay ddaghter roi d young Meredith! ip an ith !” ejaculated Keen , with a renewal of the petu- lané bitterness of his tone: “it is this that drives sie mad! I eave not so much for myself—al- though #6 would be shocking enough for a man who has seen such wealth and raised himself’ to such 4 position, tosink down into poverty! Ab! you know not all——” “Tell me everything, Armytage,” said the Duke: not that he experienced any veritable friendly interest in the. man’s affairs, but be wished to ascertain the precise position wherein hé stvod, so that ho might thereby measyre the amount of chance*tthere was of any fresh appeals being made to his own purse. “'Yout Grace is probably aware,” replied Army- tage, “that when Lord Octavian Meredith married my daughter, I settled upon het the sum of sixty thousand poands; and I further agreed to allow Meredith a thousand 4 year for his own pockete moriey. Well, my lord, before Zoe went abroad, she executed a power of attorney, enabling me to taanege her finances for her—so that Lord Octa- vian should be supplied with a sufficiency to main- tain the establishment in the Regent's Park, and I was to remit cach sums as Zoe might require tor her bwn efpenses.” “ And you do aot mean me to understand,” said the Duké, in a deep tone of anzicty, “ that hive made away with your daughter's money A moan ‘aoe the lips of, the wretched protyandly shocked : foe ie was at exidd exriteld COMIC OOO© SS (CO)