The Mysteries of the Court of London, Vol. 7 — page 400: what you’re looking at

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

-_ x — ~~ -~ —a <> a —_ — —— wens — - a — eed te ee ee oo ee ee NN re Cag oe ARRAS NRT ie -RET SRE MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. “I bear no animosity, sir, against you,” he said; “because I am well aware that you have only performed your professional duty ; and more- over I hive not forgotten that you flung ing word or two with the hope of checking the savage im- petnosity of my deceased uncle. If it suit your other engagements, I beg that you will remain here for the present, to euperintend the arrange- ments for the funeral, and to give me all requisite information with regard to a property which I have inherited so abruptly and with which I am so little acquainted,” The lawytr bowed an assent to the proposal ; and then said, “ Does it auit you, Sir Edgar, thet I should issue on your behalf any instructions with reference to those varlets who treated yourself and your friend #0 roughly P”" “No—let nothing be changed unti) the funeral shall have taken place,” rejoined Sir Edger Be- verley. Shortly afterwards the inmates of Verner House separated to their respective chambers; and on the following morning joatructions were given with respect to the funeral, Christian at the same time proceeded into Ramagate, where he inquired for the friendly mountebank: and he found bim at his lodging in the obscure court. The news of Sir John Steward's death had not reached the man’s ears; and he could scarcely believe his own senses when he thus received the intelligence from our young hero. *T hope, sir, you do not take me for a coward,” he said, “that I ran away so precipitately last night-——~" “Such is not the impression of Sir Edgar Be- verley or myself,” interrupted our bero: “for you bore your part well until yousaw that all was lost ; _ and we could not expect you to peri] your own safety any farther. I come to you thus early, for fear lest you should be thinking of a retreat ‘from the town. Sir Edger Beverley hee sent you a small testimonial of bis gratitude: and should circumstances ever transpire to render the avrvices of a friend needful, you must aot hesitate to apply to the Baronet.” With these words Christian placed a purse in the hands of the mountebank, and then burried away. When the itineran{came to examine the contente of that purse, he found himself possessed of alittle fortune of twenty guineas; so that the whole court rang with the joyous “ bussab !” which ‘burst from his lips ; and all the inhabitants of the said court were in 6 moment electrified as well as amazing)y edified by the extraordinary antics whieh he began to perform. e Our young hero next propeeded to the Royal Hotel, where he liquidated Sir Edgar Beverley’s aecuunt, and availed himself of the ab- sence of the landlord to settle his own: for be it bowpe im mind that the generous-hcarted proprietor of the establishment bad iuvited him to remain there as long as be thought fit, free of all charge. This was however a license which Christian's natu- ral pride would not saffer him to use: and he therefore liquidated his own score with liberality. He ordered the trunks to be forwarded to Verner House; and having thus transacted his business in the town, setarned to that mansion. Nothing more worth specie] notice occurred during that dey; and it was at a somewhat early hour in the a RE Ee ee EN ——, ns Eres <<, een ee SP ee 4 eee sea an ET ED eR enny De, < Ftp D S e Dane a SE Qa oa oe sar evening that the inmates withdrew to their respec tive chambers; for there was a general sense of weariness after the veried and inaidents of the preceding night. Christian been perbape about balf-aa-hosr | in his own room, und waa yet but partially andrenser, 1 —for be had been sitting down to reflect on all those circumstances in which he hed become a: mixed up,—when the door slowly opened and Mrs. Oxonden made her appearance. Sho had completely disappsrelied herself of her day-ovstume, aod was now attired in the simplest seglizés: a muslin wrapper was thrown so loosely around her that i: revealed far more of her really eu neck and bueom than wes eonsistent with modesty; and yet there was en utter absence of any indication t» prove a studied rolupduous cupley on her part. Indeed, # all had so naturel an air that it ap ) as if in the excitement of her feclings she hur riedly slipped on that muslin w withou. reference to the closing of its folde in depent pro- priety. The luxuriant maseos of ber raven hair fell in heavy trosses upon her admirably slopiny: shoulders; and the band which circled whis' just drew in the wrapper sufficiently to the wall-proportinned symmetry of her shape. Her naked foet had been thruat into elippere; ead her well-formed unkles, whito and well rounded, bat of shapely alenderness, glanced beneath the ekirt of her dress. Immediately upon making her appear- ance, she placed ber forefinger upon her tip to enjoin Milence; and then she closed the door. Chriatian’s eountenanow flashed with mingled sar- prise and indignation: he was about to bid her be- gone, when she conveyed to him that indication of silence; and therefore the word to which he was on the point of giving ulterance remained us- en. “You ere surprised - perhaps you are shooked, Mr. Ashton, at this proceeding on my part,” began Mrs. Oxenden, ber looks expressing the woet lan- guishing entreaty as she our young hero: “but I beseech you to hear me with patience.” “Tt were well, madam,” he coldly reeponded, “if you bad chosen a more suitable time and place for any communication which you may hava ty mako me:"—aad he glavoed significantly towards the door “Mr. Ashton, I am the wost miserable: of women!" quickly resumed Mrs. Oxenden, ‘with a look and tone of passionate entreaty. “TI implbre you to listen to me!” : {" ejaculated Christian “Not here—not now “TI insist that you leave me!” “T sannot--I will not!” she rejoined, as if ahe were helf frensied. “Ever since your return from the town in the forancon, [ have endepvoured to find an opportunity to speak to you alone—dut you would not oral varpoosly: to lear to oon. lecture my object y to me, ve Tt many be thet I did 60,” answered Christienr “but if you have really to cay to ma, you mast postpone it to the morrow, whee I qill not refuse you the ity. But to- and here--—-—No, it is impossible |-end you do our cause no good, Mrs. Oxenden, by suming to ie in such circumetances. t now josie the you leavé me.” She turned away frow our hero for sn instant as if about to seak the door, ~ when sudienly bending COMM (C NOG SS CO