The Mysteries of the Court of London, Vol. 5 — page 99: what you’re looking at

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

Sd cr Se & THE MYSTERIES the two stations of Gravesend and Boughton Hill: the ‘seound, by having the word Dover prefixed, slowed that this portion of the mossage was intended for thé Marshalls; the third indicated the exact time when the bird was despatched. At Gravesend Re- hecca Patch made a cross on the billet, to show that the bird hid halted at one station: at Boughton Hill Joe Doan did the same thing, as an_ indication that the second station had been touched at, If, for instance, the bird had reached Boughton Hill without tho proof that it had stopped at Gravesend, Joe Dean would have still let it proceed on to Dover: but would have at once despatched a carrier dove of his own to Gravesend to give the order for the relay-horse that was nefded: and if the bird had.teached Dover without the proofs (indicated by he two marke on the ecrap of paper) of having atopped at the intermediato stations,, then Kate Marshall would have sent tho bird back with another note conveying the requisKe orders for the relays. With regard to the secret of the writing, the clue to the reading ¢hereof depended, as a matter of course, upon a preconcerte afrangembnt and uv- derstanding known to all the parties concerned : atfl the clue to the mystery lay in the. possession of | the key to a certaig transposition of the alphabet. Each day in the yegr 1844 had its particular initial letter thus definitively settled; and «we havé'seen that on the present occasion the letter I, served that purpose. This letter, then, became for the odcasion, the fret in the alphabot. Our megning can be better conveyed by placing in jiuxta-position the pro- per alphabet and the alphabet according to which «| wienié, come.ides may be formed of its magnitude. Lady Bess’s note was written :— abode fghijklmnopqrstuy Imnopqretuvwzysebsdefg: wiys. hijk | Thus 7 served for a, s for b, t for o—anid é0 on. Wo mut likewise observe that instead of the capital letter I, when expressing the Sf;t person, a star (#) was used in the hieroglyphic calligraphy. — . OHAPTER XXI. \ BEAINDYD THE SCBNBS. rd ; Ta lounger through the Opera Golonnades in the Haymarket and Pall Mall can scarcely form & con- ception of the‘vast magnitude of tho: establishment by which he is passing: nor when the house is crowded of an evening, do those present—unless | tio previously initiated—gntertain the slightest idea of the multiplicity of the appliances and the conipliea- tion of the machisiory re riy'te ta produce all’ the scenio effects which they behold upon the stage, With regard to tae size of the establishment, it is enormous, and in addition to the performers, fur- nishes employment fer an almost: countless host of persons who ere never seon within the sphere of that blase of light which fills the place when open to the public: The approaches to the vast amphi- theatre—the corridora and staircases—the crush- rooms, where the visitors wait fot their carriages | when the performance is over—the refreshment- saloon—the enormous theatre itself, capable of con- three thousadd persons—and the stage with its ample width ani’ still greater depth—all these | lightef Onde OF TER COURT. ——————— compartments of the premises, which are familiar to the visitor, fill up an enormous space. But in addition to those parts of the building which are thus well kniown, thore are others which help to ‘swellethe magnitude of the edifce. For example, there are the private apartments in which the lessee }*and othéb aathorities of the place may live en- tirely if they choose: there.are numerous offices where clgrka’ conduct the business-matters of the establishment in as regular and laborious a manner asin any great mepdantile firm of the City; and in "’ the precincts of the stage there are the numerous dressing- rooms for the performers, whether belong- ing to the opera of ballet. . The leading characters of either department enjoy the privilege of separate ‘dressing-rooms: but the minor performers diss three or ‘fout-in a chamber—a Cue regard to the distinction of the sexes being of course maintained. There isan immense convert-room belonging to the building, and which in itself is larger than many of the minor theatres. Then thete is the scene- | painters’ roori—a place o:-tonsiderablo extent and of great height, as may Be imagined from the extent of canvass that has to be spread out for the purpose of dosfgning and colouring. There is the room whore the theatrical properties are kept, com- prising all-the costumes and the various articles which have to be introduced on the stage to suit particular performances. Moréovor, immense space is required for the mechanism of which we shall almost immediately have to speak; and thus from this mere fleeting and imperfect glancu at the prin- cipal departments and divisiots of the estnblish- But at night, when the vast amphitheatre is one blasé of light‘und crowded with spectators from pit to roof, how few who are then prosent can form an idea of the mechanical power that is brought to“hear upon all those shifting scenes which produce such splendid effects upon the stige. Perhaps it is a beautiful landscape which is thus represented —with trees, and fields, and water, and houses, and with the clouds abovs: but all the various portions of painted canvass that enter into the formation of Lhat scenery are moved and put into their place by means of countless ropes arid numbers of wheels, : levers, and windlasses, so that to the eye of the visitor who is allowed to peep behind ‘those scenes, , it appears aa if he were on board an immense ship and involved amidst: the complications of its rigging. What Hosta of fred We and spene-shifters are the midnagement and exccu- np which are thus un- seen, and. the gutent hich’ is little suspeotod by prifliané. comphny sitting in: front of “he foot- ith:the sige if is apparently one confuséd and jumbled mass. of méchanism, beams, poate, wheels; Varett and all iniaginabie | contrivances for trap-dooré, drop and the tiimerous other arti- fices, deviess, an iors arrangements which often produce saat arting effect to the eyes of the audience. Fxam those dark péoflmaitic beneath the stage, high | Wp to the very summit of the building —me dbovel, rhat appears to the spectators to be the top of the“stage—a circular iron staircase winds its way, only just wide enough for one individual 0 thread it at ‘a‘time; and during tne performance constant communications are kept up between the ECOMRniclacae SS (CO)