The Mysteries of the Court of London, Vol. 7 — page 95: what you’re looking at

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

84 was holding on. ©n the right of the front, rank, an im t-looking minx of a girl, with an old o handkerchief abont her ‘head was staring up ats window and prpffering 4 box of a none an ol - girl and a boy—both with villanously hang-dog coun- likewise doing their best to . It needed but a partially ceive that this tribe eto scarcely any degree possibility, belong ose who were passing hamacives of an thoir ta : for not between any two of them was the slightcst faiftily de. There they were, slowly making their wa along the street,—ain ging at the top of their disvordant voices ; and when the song tem- porarily ceased, the man ed forth the whin game tale he had already told to Christian— with this trifling difforence however, that he happened to substitute Portsmouth for Liver- poot as the place whence he and his family had tramped up. Halfpence from the windows rattled down into the street : these were quick) snatched up by’ the children, who scudd about in all directions for the purpose : the man rayed “ that the Lord might bleas the kind sand gentlemen who thus assisted a poor mechanic out of employ”—the woman dropped divers low curtseys—and the singing recom- menced. It did not seem to strike the charitable donors as being at all strange that the poor family, th a few minutes before they had proclaimed themselves to be starving, did not at once rush off to the nearest baker's and buy some bread. No such thing '—they went on singing away in most frightfal discord—until the sudden appearance of a policoman, who was advancing in a manner which plain! showed that he knew the arch-impostors fall well, spread the utmost dismay and bewilder- ment in their ranks. ceased in a moment: and the man hurriedly said, “Come along, Bet—or that biue-bottle will precious soon blow the gaff |”—and they mado a rush towards the next atreet, dragging the youngest children hastily alon m. Stok was the spectacle which the twins beheld; and it certainly afforded no encouray- ing picture of London life. It shocked the pure minds of that youthful pair to think thet auch impostures should be practised under the guise of honest poverty: for they knew that the consciousness that these things woeredone, must often prevent the really charitably dis- ‘posed from dispensing the alms which they would otherwise bestow, and that therefore the really deserving suffered very frequently and severely for the rascality of practised de- ceivers. Early in the forenoon of the following day, Christian and Christina were again in Redcross | Street, at the door of the house to which their benevolent purpose brought them. The land- lady made her appearance ; and éhe tale which she told, was as gratifying to the twins as it was almost completely unexpected. It ap- peared that e tall gentleman, with a dark com- lexion, and wearing a cloak, had called at the house in the oo y ofa medical practitioner from the neighbourhood, about two hours after Christina lef{ on the preceding day. The medical ¢ necended to see the invalid, w the gentleman remained below to question the ‘ ay evidently been pre-arratyed, and was accomplished. A hackney-coach was tanked NCEE: 0d. CEE > Thee CP What followed, had. ee, THE MYSTERIES OF THE COUET. Ene? GT the dying young woman was placed in it-—and was borne away to another house, somewhere in the suburbs of IJelington. dlady mentioned the address, and concluded by ob- serving that the tall dark gentleman did not eccompany Mary Wright to her new abode, but sent the surgeon with her, placing in his hand a handful of money ere ihe hurried away. The twins had no difficulty in recognising Mr. Redcliffe in the tall dark gentleman ; an they experienced the utmost. delight at all the intelligence which they thus received. They repaired at once to the address named ; and on arriving at the house, in an open , and healthy part of Islington, they found that lodgings of the most cheerful and comfortable description had been taken for the poor sufferer | —that a nurse had been provided for her— that ample funds had been p d for her benefit in the hands of the lan » who was a kind, bnevolent woman—sand that poor Mary Wright, herself had received Mr. Redcliffe’s assurance, delivered through the medium of the worthy surgeon, that she need have no farther care in respect to her maintenance, as she would be. well provided for. Mary Wright had also learned that it was through Christina she had thus become the object of such noble charity ; and we may add that she had not forgotten to inform the medical man of the kindness received from a beautiful young oreature with dark | hair and eyes, but whose name she had not learnt. CHAPTER XVI. INDORA. It was the eighth evening after that interview hetween Mr. cliffe and the Princess Indorsa which has been described in a recent chapter ; and we must revisit the secluded abode of that orienta] lady. On this occasion we shall find her in the drawing-room, which was furnished with a mingled sumptuonsness and elegance corresponding with the species of boudoir where we first beheld her. e draperies were of the costliest descri, ion: the sofas and ot- tomans were covered with a dark green velvet, of so rich a texture and with such a gloss, that it appeared alntost s sin for a human form,to press upon it. There were chairs in this room, mpde of same precious wood inlaid with mother- of-pearl, and having luxurious cushions of the same material as that which covered the otto- mans. The ornaments upon the mantel-piece, the nick-nacks upon the tables, the vases fill with flowers, or whence perfume exhaled their fragrance, were ell of the costliest and most curious eastern description. A mellowed lustre,® flood the a but quite sufficient to ent, was chandeliers; afire burnt thrown out by superb ohee in the grate—and its blaze wae shrouded from the eye by soreens curiously peinted, and the framework of which was elaborately ae well aa delicately carved. Fans, formed of the feathers of tropical birds, lay within the reach, wheresoever the Princess might choose at the moment to seat herself ; and a large cage, standing on a table near the window, contained within the aphere of its golden “ @ dozen or so of s of tho CoMmicooolkxs.connr