The Mysteries of the Court of London, Vol. 7 — page 105: what you’re looking at

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a a a EI ae I I TS I ef TT aes TENE PCS Ter a ie Ger Res en” oe mr ete — =e mwa? ¢ bm Tho wate and the two rings were replaced in the packet, whioh was folded up and carefully tied; and the work-box was locked again. Then Christina went fo ber own trunk; ang selecting her best dress and shaw], sje envoloped them m n handkerchief and iseucd forth from the ledgin,- house. The poor girl bent her way to the nearest pawnbroker’s shop. It was now completely dusk —the gas was jighte) inside—the plato and jewel- lery in the windew shono with resplendence. Christina lingered for a few moments at the ghop- door : but she had nof the courage to enter—and she passed ajong the street. Again did the tears streain from her eyes nt tho thought of the dis- treasing position to which her brother and herself were reduced, Then sho recollected tbat he would return present)y, fatigued with his walk—hungry too, as he had gone furth; and that there was not a morsel of bread et the lodging for him tg eat. She abruptly turned buck --wiped the tears from her eyes—and mustoring up all her courage, sped in the direction of the pawnbroker’s shop. A loutish-looking boy was gazing in at the window, devouring all the fine things with his eyes: bat as Miss Ashton appeunched the duor, he suddenly looked round, and with a coarse grin aaid, “© Ah, young o’oman! it’s casier to take things there than to git ‘em out agin.” Tf was not that the fellow ill-naturedly intended to wound the poor girl’s feolinga: but his words had that offvct,—piercing indeed like o barbed arrow into her heart ; for sho wasin that despoud- ing, almost wretched state of mind, when any in- cidont of this sort suddenly assumes the aspect of ab ominous prediction to be fenrfully fulfilled. With almost a preterhuman coffort she kept back the tears that were again ready to start forth from her beauteous black eyes; and in a fit of deapera- tion ehe rpehed into the shop. bo pawnbroker, with spectacles upon his nose and pen stuck behind hia car, bunt a scrutinizing glance upon the young girl, so us to ussure him- solf, as fur us puch survey would, that she had not stulen the articles sho came to pledve:- and then he examined them. Sho was ready to sink with shame during the process--and ail the more ao, as in the middle of it a cofiple of il-looking half-tipsy women came in, with bfasen elfrontery in their louka ~for they were nee frumiiiated vat the thought of being acen in such a place. Zhe pawnbrokor asked her hyw much she required upon the,articlea: but she was so confused that she was unable to utter @ word. The man’s experience in such matters at onee enabled him to detect tie difference between sprinkipg baslifulness and con- scious dishoneaty ; he therefore received the pledges —baaded ber over thirty shillings, together with a | tipket—ang Christina hurried out of the’ shop, infujtoly relieved at escaping from the coarse | lodke agd jocring whispers of vhe two wompa., | urchased provisions, and tored the r6é-en WauIRE- When her brother returned rou his errand, his eyes instavtaneonaly ¢ which was spread upon the fable, wWwards | ) sister and he burst into tears. e cotaprehenged ig 9 moment the generasiby of ber vurpose in séndit tumporanly eut of the wav: and he erobra ad hoe en a ervently, Bu | hen a painnl idea snot | jan; an: through bib boars fe again glanoed~bus npw with sysious inguiry— | sain wee » FT eee —<_- wena ens THE MYSTERIQG OF THE COURT. a Ay Pal FS Oy at PE yo ES aie Ey aie ED tuwards Christina. She comprehended what he meant, and at once reassured him by erplaining what she had done, and that the little memorials which they possessed of their long dead mother had uot becn touched. They sat down to eat; ) but if was with no small degree of bitterness that | they partook of the food obtained by money raised | from such n source. | Christian rose very early on the following morn- | ing, and told his sister that he should renew his : inquiries after a place, notwithaguding the dis- appuintments he bad already experienced. She | replied that she also ghould go abous to eolicit | work, and begged her brother to return in a few | hours to escort her for the purpose. He promised | that he would; and ho sajlied forth. epairi to a neighbouring coffee-house, he carefully inspected the advertising columns of the newspapers; and his eyes settled upon an announcement to thé effect that a young man of intelligence, and who wrote a gentlemanly hand, was required byang- ° bleman as an amanuensis, or private secretary Application was to be made at a particular addrogs in Piccadilly. Of set Christian in that direction » —we cannot exactly say with hope io his heart, because he had already experienced so many dis- appointments and rebuffs: but at least he was de- termined not tu lose the opportunity for want of following it up. On arriving in Piccadilly and reaching the particular address indicated, he found ; that it was a jeweljer’s shop. He thought there, — rust be some mistake: but as the nunber of the | house was previsely that specified in the newspaper | advertivement, he resolved to inquire. Entcring the shop, ho addressed himself to one of the serving-men; and on numing his business, was at once informed that i¢ was the proper place af which to apply in the firat ingtance. Then the shopman gave Christian a card, and recommended him tu gu at once, aa there had already been several npplicanta for tho situation. , The youth felt that the advice given was some- what cheering, masmuch as it appeared to promise that he would not be considered too young for the empluyment which he sought. He louked at the vard, and found that it was that of the Duke of Murchmont, whose residence was in PBelgrave Square, Christian had never, to his knowledge, heard tho name mentioned befure ; and he was stricken wilh timidity at the thought of appearing as the candidate for » stuation with a nobleman of so lofty a rank: but be was uot to be deterred bp any such fueling from making the attempt —and be was sv0n ‘in Belgrave Square. pe Duke of Marchmont was at home; und when Christian mentioned his business, one of the numerous pow- | derod and fiyeried Jacqueys who were lounging in | tho hnil, eynducted the youth to a fumptucuely furnished apartment, where his Grace, enveloped ¢ in a splendid sk murning-gown, was loud sing on w sofa, readins tli newspapers—for it was yet varly in the forenogg. ; * We must wbrer v that Christian took great | care af iis clothes: fe was neatly ‘dressed—and —— eee ee Pe es oe -_e aa ee - > froin the ipjion already given of hin, we néed | searcely add " wal merely \ ab he was nok merely respectabh stg, but of an angepeshl. gai Te Dake, siowly oe a hy ithoug raising himself up, aud jagily depositing the pawapaper by his side, survoyed Christian "attentively ' and 4 © gumsnanpromrtemteianenn: ELOOO© SS