The Mysteries of the Court of London, Vol. 7 — page 361: what you’re looking at

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| | | | | t \ = > — —_ aie om $60 THE MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. and in a little lees than an hour, reached the villa | at Bayawater in safety. There she sequainted tho Princess, who had been very uneasy at her sudden disappearance, with the particulars of the outrage which had been perpe- trated against her; and all that she omitted frum the tale, was that repid byt exciting scone with Lord Octavian: Meredith which we have juat been describing. Indora gathered enough from what Ohristins said, to convinee her that the Freneb- woman could be sone other than Medame An- geliate but she did not intimate that she had any owledge of that disreputablo person. Deeply indignant was the Princess at tho treatment which her young friend had sustained: but she was to- totnily at a joss to conceive what could be the moti¥d of the abduction, unless it were to purvey aome freab victim to the juste of Madame An- gelique’s patrons. Christina retired at once to her chamber,—where she was most kindly ministered untu by tho Princess herself, who watched by hor side until aloep at length closed the young maiden’s oyen. "There was one person beneath that rouf who understood full well what tho outrago meant, anc who inwardly deplored its failure,~~but who out- wardly testified aympathy on bebalf of our heroine. This was Baggonab. CYUAPTER LXVIL CHE SUPPHER-BATRE RB. Tun sceno now changes. On that samo ovening of which wo are writing, a masked ball took place at Buckingham Palace. Tho invitations, which were most numerous, had boen issued to all the incipal mombers of tho aristocracy, male and emule, and to the most distinguished persons of the fashionable world. As a matter of course all the preparations were of the moet splendid and aumptucus description: for Royalty has got no- thing to do but to dip its hand into the publ nuree which hard-worked and severcly-taxed In- dustry is forded to keep continuoualy filled, in -urder to procure all imaginable plessurce for itself, and to entertain its friends, ite flattorers, and its hangera-on. The greater portion of the company apprared in | fancy-costame: but there were several—ciriofly tho highest personages, male and female, of the aristo- rvady-—who were upparclled iu their usual manner. Amongst those prevent was the Duke of Maxe- | Stolburg-Quothba, who lad again run over to Eng- pe agey Oe ree ee ew wie Qe eee oe Ee oy ee le ~~ a GupevnatepeatrrriaimnreteRiap iggy i ats , EET caine s Yi agai oeplighh, waaay ayn > feed evens ty eatin" of. oe ss —- m ws hk land (at the public expense, bo i¢ well understood) to vieat bis iltustrivos relative; and in order that thie faithful chronicle of event® may omit no deta! valculated to prove interesting to the reader, it must be added that his Royal Highness did actu- ally and veritably woar a new uniform upon the oecation. Litde did ho suspect, while mingling in the gaietioa- of Buckingham Palace, that tis late Groom of the Stole Lad on that very seme day fwen seen by his leto Euylich secretary eo indus. triously though eomiewbat iguominioualy amployed in beating o drum dat ranuing his lips aluug the tubes of a rnouthorgan. There tuo, auidat chat company, was the Duke of Marchmoat, who was oo i glad to seek in any scene of excitezzent a relief from the vague but painful epprehensions which haunted him in respect to the Princess Indora. In respect to the Queen and Prince Albert, the news- papers of the following day assured their readers thet her Majesty never appeared in better spirita, and that ber illustrious consort was observed to be in the enjoyment of admirable heajth,—-which piece of intelligence no doubt afforded the highest untiefaction at all the breakfast tdples where the journale aforesaid were perused the morning after this grand entertainment. Bat for the masked ball iteelf. All those who wore fancy-costume, were bound to maintain their incognito until two o'clock ih the morning, so that there might bo no relaxation of the merriment aud gaicty until such timo as all tho wit and humour of the masked unknowns might be ex- hausted! Even this length of time that was thus prescribed, was founded op the calculation that the wit aud humowr of the aristocratic’ assemblage would last fur scveral houre: ap that when tho averazo dulncss of the aristocratic intellect 1s taken into account, it becomes quite clear that the patrician orders possess an enviable facility of amusing themselves. Now, it must bo understood that the Grand Duke of Maxe-Stolburg-Quotha bad come over to England with precisely the aamo retinue—the iMuetrious Kapgpidbak cxeepted — that he had brought with bim on the previous occasion: but upon some privaty uuderatanding to which he had come with his relative the Prince, the Grand Duke had introduced none of his precivus borde at the masked ball of which we aro writing. Therefore Count Wronki, the Lord Steward —~ tho Chevaher Gumbinnen, the Lord Chamberlain — General Himmelspinken, tho Master of the Horse— Herr Hombogh, the Lord Privy Seal—tho Chevalier Kadyver, Chief Jiquerry—Count Froopenhansen, the Gold Stick ~eand Baron Farthenless, the Privy Purse, had ail been left at Mivart’a Hotel to play at duminors for halfpence, or to rack their brains fur the means uf prucanug seme more aubstantial recres- tiom Deeply indiynant were these grent men at what they concuived to be the slight put upon them; and they presently touk counsel together to see whether they could pussibly indemmiy them- selves for their exciusion from the milded saloons of British Royalty. All of a sudden a luminous idea struck the Chevaher Kadger: and having com- municated it to his worthy compecers, 1¢ was unani- moualy voted that he should forthwith put it into execution. The Chevalier was about tu set forth for the purpose, when he recollected that he should require a cab tu take him in baste to Buckingham Paluce, and bring him back again to Mivart’s Hotel to communicate the result of his mission. Two shillings at the least woald be the required fare; and this amount, after suroc little delay, was scraped together iu halfpence from the pockets of those itlastrious German noblemen gnd gentlemen, But when the Chevaher Radger bad departed, etrapge misgivings eprang up in the bressta of thoaé whom he had left belund, lest he should merely drop into the nearest public-house, drink sod emeke oat the large funde confided to hios for 2 spec's purpces, end then come beck to assure thew gith-all the impudence in the world that te a WO Dries << "Raters oy eee oes “Gee ee eee, ELOOO© pega a grore ain: rain oh Gen ee eet t i ries «- ee Were a —, SS