The Mysteries of the Court of London Vol. 4 — page 383: what you’re looking at

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

_— e- 7 ww atu -_ = —_ ss = B70) NU MYSTERIES -_ Sf - - [ mend a a a EE kind of whisper, “f have beon seriously thinking of matrimony.” «© Matramony! What, you?” ejaculated the Prince sud be burt aut laughing. e Well Lam glad yorr Royal Highness can huh se heartiiy st Jest,” observed Ta h: “for von luoked as ¢lum and inepish as a mute aba deat rean’s door when Tcame in. But ’poa my sual dam da earnest! Indeed, i never was more in earest in my hfe:’—and as if to ratify his word,, the Captain refilled his tumbler and tossed off the contents ut.a draught. « Bub are you in Jove 2” inquired the Prince. “Not b: I never was inJoye in my life—that is to 5-¥,.im real sentimental, poetisingemoonlizht, spoony land of lovee I never wrote sonnets to a Judy's tenuty, but conveyed my admiration by the fur more practical method of giving her a hearty kiss ib Gace.” . “Then 1 presume,” continued the Prince, still Jaughuaipz, “that if you are not in love but inean to mar.y, you are on the louk-out for a lady with @ fulbaoe ?” * ‘That js juat about the mark,” reapanded Captain Tash. “A lady with come fopr or five hundred a-year would suit my parpgse wHeommunly.” “ But that is uo great foriyne, after all,” abserved the Prince, “Miuat she be Beamtiful inte rhe bar- gun t's “Well, [ gannot gay that I am prevared to throw myself away upen ap old herridan as shrivelled as a mummy s avd at the same time [ do not want a wily young oreatuye of aixteen or seventeen, who locks as if she had jus} left off pinafoyen and escaped from ihe nursery, You seg, my dear Prince, that a fiue-locking may bke me—-and this I may say without vanity—must have a wife to correspond. Jn short, Mea, ‘Tash should bea cummanding woman —thirty yeats of age, er thereahouta—and if I can net withayeh a one, I think tiat 1 gould guarantee Lecoming # very excellent husband.” “Do vou mean ma to help you to this acquisi- Cou?” asked the Prinse: “beoauae J caw aseure pon thatitis not atallin my way. Uitless indeed,” he added, tadghing, “it@vere some cast-off mistress that 1 wanted to get ridof and provide for.” “Upon my soul, a man may do worse things,” nuswered Captain Tash, “ than take a Prince's cast- aii nistress.» L[Lowever, as you, sir, have uothing of that sort handy at the moment, we needu’t say another word. But to return to what we were talking of—namely, the tesumonial of your Royal High- thes approval of my conduct ——" q “Ah! thavs it,” said the Prince. “ Well, leave it tome, Tash. You are a good fellow; and I shall plovide for you, Come to me again ina few days aud we will talk the matter aver.” The gallant officer made due acknowledgments Jur this hind promise, and then took his departure. A+ svon as le was gone, the®Prince seated himsel! aia gide-table @here there were writing-materials, and penned a lever to his sister the Princess Suphia, informing her tuat her son was at length fully pro- vided for, having sailed fur the colonies. Scarcely had he sealed and despatched this letter te Sui. James's Palace, where her Royal Highness dwelt, when a domestic entered to state that Mrs. Arbuth- not solicited an immediate audience of the Prince Regent. “Ap! I cau guess what this is about,” he said to a — owe - ape eee oS RP ae = Gee, 6 eee ier Erg wis Sr =a. ewe eee 9 Ce Ee afi OF TIE COURT. “Mab him-elf, with a start of impatience; but deeuning it more prudent to see her, he desired. that she might be adivitted. =e qd 4 ~——t— CHAPTER CCY. THE IMTRIGUING MOTIIER. Wen Mrs, Arbuthnot entered the room, she found the Prince seated uponéthe sofa near the table on whieh the refreshments were spread ; and ehe in- stantaneously saw that his Jook and manner were full of a cold hautéur—a sort of a tacit warning to make her aware that he was inno bumour te put up with any “agape.” Her demeanour was pro- foundly respegify|, with a tipge of reproachful mournfulnegas for she was a thorough adept in all hypocrisies and artifices, and knew full well how to assume an aspect suitable to any ecoasion or to any cizcumstances. " The Prince partially rose from hie s¢at—howed distantly —and waved his hand tewarde a chair: then without uttering a word, he awaited the expla- nation of this visit, * Your Royal Highness will graoiously pardon me,” saik Mrs. Arbuthuot, commenging in the goutiest and mildest toue—for she was desirous to see what humble persuasion would do first, ere she had recourse to the alternative of harsher meagns,— “your Royal Highness will pardon me tor this in- trusion; but itis ou a very painful matter that. I have ventured to approach the representative of ny Suvereign,” ‘ “ Propeed, madam,” said the Prinee, with a slight bow, and with a glacial courtesy of jnanuer, “My daughter Penelope,” sontinged Mrs, Ar- buthnot, “is ia a way to become a mother ; und she is profugndly anxious relative to the future.” *) tuld your daughter, madam,” responded the Prinee, “that when the time came that she could no longer conceal her situation———and thai, froin what she told me, will be some months hence she could easily retire from the Court for a short period, under suitable arranyements, which your ex- perience no doubt,” he addeds+omewhat ironically, “ will enable you to carry into effect.” “ Sir, wherefore this species of taunt thrown out against me?” asked Mrs. Arbuthnot. “ Would you insinuate that Tam accustoined to suggest or invent planus. to conceal the disgrace uf young ladics ? Lf sop your Royal Highness is exceed- jugly mistakes.” “ Madam, I cannot forget the facility with which you.lent yourself to the little freak which made me covet your daughter; and therefore I naturally suppose that such pandering pastimes cannot be altugether strange te you.” “Does your Royal Highness mean that my daughter was not pure and chaste when she re- ceived you to her arms ?” exclaimed Mra. Arbuth- not, scarcely able to repress her indignation: “or wou'd you imply that through my ageucy she had been frail betore ?" “ No—I mean nothing of the sort,” answered the Prince. ‘ J] dv nat wish to throw the slightest as- persion on Miss Penelope’s honour previous to her intimacy with me. On the contrary, 1 will even declare my conviction that she was pure and chaste, as you express it: but it is not the less . ec a cd CONIC OO ( () <S CO