The Mysteries of the Court of London, Vol. 7 — page 362: what you’re looking at

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

Reseed @ Ce ee ee” -— = oe ¥O - nee Ce ee -— —_ =~ w« = Qewets = - gee) bad THB WMISTWRIRE OF THD COURT, Sp Er ree! Re et om ey afore We epg A pep? 7 ye ook eS eg QTD a TTI aT had been to the Palace but had failed in the i nt of his mission. Howseer, thew wae now no help for it but to wait; and therefore, by way of a little pastime for the nexs hour or sd, those amiable Germans sustained an inoemnt Kadger than his friends gave him eredis for: in- aamuch as at the qxpiration of about an hour and a half, he re-appeared with a face that was very red and very radiant, The redueas arose from & strong giass of brandy-and-water of which he bad partaken in the servante’ ball at Buckingham Palace; and the radinnoy wes derived from the complete suceces which had crowned hia mission? eo that after all, the Chevalier’s companions found they had wfongfully suspected their upright eom- rade, and that he had set turaed into the nearest public-house to drink and smoke cut the two shil- lings accumulsted in halfpence. We now returp to Buckingham Palace itself. It was verging towards midmght; and the doors of the refreshment rooms had been thrown open for those who thought fit to avail themselves of _ the viands and the wines, the fruits and the hqueura, sv profusely set out upon the tables. It was how- ever deemed too early fur a geuoral influx of the company to these rooms; and but fow domeatics remained there in attendance. Tho head-butlor was nevertheless at hie post near the sideboard; and inetend of lounging there, he etood statue-like with that prim formality which had become habi- tual. Presently a solitary gueat, whose form anil countenancy were cawpletely concealed by a long fluwing domino, strolled in a leisurely manner into the refroshinent-roon — surveyed the profusely covered tables through a amall opening in bis buod , --and then seating bimsclf, began paying his re- spects to cold ebicken and ham. The butli¢ at ones Jet fly the cork of a bottle of champagne, which he . “aced upon the table near the solitary supper. ter; and the contents of that buttle speedily - theappeared down the supper-eater’s throat. But ; it could searcely be a matter of surprise that he required so cormiderable a quantity of wine, inas- rouch as it had tu wash clown a proportionate amount of food: for i¢ was no ordinary supper of | which this gentleman had partaken. Ue kept bis ' hood all tho trme over his head, and as much over his countenance too as the process of eating and Son ee en ley eRe ater ple 2b) ev domino of the dopious supper-sater was agit tg itelf to his vieual perception. Ayatler of course thought that 2 cond nothing moro than the mere curivsity of an hlé lounger strolling in to see how things weve pro gressing in the refreshmentroom: but seareely could that same butler believe his own eyes, when he saw the domino ait down guiatly ab the table, - aud commence A Vigorous atiack upon the viaude nearest. It required no emall cizgamatence ta shake the butler the equillibring of bie prim formal dignity: bud at this spectacio, which com- prised the rapid disappearance of a savoury pis, he certainly did look aghast. However, he had his duty to perform; asd when regaining his self- ion, he lost no time in accomplishing it. Another bottla of cham wae accordingly drawa and placed on tho table for the bohoof of the eupper-eater. The meal on this cooasion wae not lees copinus than the former one, either in te apect to aclide or fluids; and having, as the butler thought, not merely appessed but most outrage. ously gorged his appetite, the domino departed from the refreahmont-room. Three or four other guests almost immodiately made their appearance ; aud thus the attendant duraeatics had no opportunity to give verbal ox- pression amonget themselves to the wonder which they did not ¢he less exporiones at the gaatronomia feat achieved by the duming. At length, however, the room was once more empty; and the, butler was just marvelling withia hinealf whether the great supper-eater felt comfortable in the ¢ondi- tion of a gorged boa-constrietor—when bis eyvs syttie | on the same identical domino once mare! “Surely,” theught tho butler to himeelf, “ be ie never cuming for a third sappor P'~—and the attendant dumeatica exchanged rapid glances amongst themsclves with a similar signibenncy. But the domino iv question had returned for the most substantial of purposes, Down bo aate— deep was the incision which his knife made into the breast of a superb eapon—ham and tooguo from neighbouring dishes found their way to his plate—and when the champagne was plaged by his side, Le quaifed glass after glass with a repidity ang a gest wine espomed in perfret keeping with the gigantic nagnilude of his appetile. he butler was astounded: he elared at tho brilliant chandclior pendant in the centre of the rvom, to cunvines himaelf that ho was broad awake —bat The he coald not qutto aucecend iu coming to 4 eonalt- wionan the point; and sill therefore be bad o vaguo idea that he muat have been doging and dreaming--en improsin: which lasted for the bext twonty miauies that fullowed the departure { drinking would permit: bus this cireumatanes was \ No sources of marvel tu the builer, inasmuch aa he ; knew thatthe masgues were to presorve their iacng- mifo until n prescribed hour; ~ and with this “knowledge hkewise, the other do:nestics in attend- —_- _. a= —_.__f ee - = -_= awe = a eT = e _ ance absteined, with a becoming delicacy, from | of the supper-eater from the room, standing “anywhere in front of the supper-vater, 60 The guests now began to wake their appearance that they might not have the appearance of bog {in greater numbers; and some of them sate down ‘ inspired by curiveity to ascertain who he was, | Having partaken of a copious repast, omptiod the ‘ champagne-bottle, and finished off with a few , glasecs of sherry and port, the gontiemna in the , domino issued Trom the room. About twenty minutes elapsed, during which a few other guests strolied in to partake of wine or “lemonade, but of nothing more substantial; and the butler wae stall mainksiniag his post at, the sideboard, when he was recalled from a tem», “rary &t of abstraction to the fact that the identieal| physical impussibilizy ' at table, Tho butler became uo cocupied that his thoughta ceased gradually to dwall with so much intentacss upon the iaaidente we have been re- lating -- until all of s sudden they wore again con- contraled on the same point, and with @ more powerful ingensity than ever, on bebolding the re- appearance of tle particular dumino. “ Good heavens {” thought the butler to hiseelf, “is it possitle thet he is coming for a fourth supper? No—it cannot be! it 10 a downright No hemes dfesture 5 al SS