The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 165: what you’re looking at

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154 THE MYSTERIES. “He is a fine fellow—vwill do a good action—sings he took the hand which the Prince of Wales held cut to him. The lady returned his salutation with cold eourtesy, and resumed her seat. The Prince threw himself upon a sofa, and invited Meagles to take a chair, inquiring at the same time whether he had breakfasted. “ 'Yes— hours ago,” was the answer: “and since then I have been gathering all the intelligence I could scrape tuygether respecting——” He stopped, and glanced towards the lady. “You may continue, air,” said Mrs. Fitzherbert. * His Royal Highness has no secrets with me,” she added in a dignified manner. “I¢ is all true—just as I told yo2,” proceeded | gee Meagles, addressing himself to the Prince. “The King has cou:municated to the Ministers his deslre that your Royal Highness should espouse the Princess Caroline of Brunswick: the Cabinet as- sembled yesterday afternoon and discuec:d the question ;—and it was agreed to retain the affair a secret for a short time longer. But somehow or wother the rumour got afloat in the evenizng—and now it is known to be correct.” “ Upon my hononr,” exclaimed the Prince, in- | ance?” dignantly, ‘‘ my august father has a magnificent notion of the way to cater for his son's happiness ; —aud Mr. Pitt and his friends in the Cabinet dis- pose of the destinies of the heir-apparent to the throne with as much coolness as a magistrate dis- plays when he commits a vagrant to the House of Correction.” “It will be your fault if you submit tamely to ‘these indignities,” said Mrs. Fitzsherbert, empha- tically. “The contemplated alliance becomes the talk of the town even before the faintest hint has been dropped to-s ourself.” ‘ “It is too bad,” retarned the Prince. “But. what more have you heard, Meagles ? Tell ns everything, and without reserve: Sirs. ‘Fitaherbert will be all the better pleased with you.” “There is a report that your Royal Highness’s private affairs were also discussed yesterday at the Cebinet Council,” said Tim: “and I know that the rumour is correct.” “ What was mooted?—and how are you aware that the story is true?” demanded the Prinov, with feverish impatience, and with a hasty glance at Mrs. Fitzherbert. “In the first place,” answered Meagics, ‘it is paid that Mr. Pitt proposed to his colleagues a scheme for the settlement of the debts contracted by your Royal Highness, and which projec: will be submitted to Parliament when it meets next month. Secondly, I am sure that sach was the case, because the editor of the Government evening paper is an intimate friend of mine; and 1 have been with him this morning. There'll appear an article, in the shape of what may be termed a ‘ feeler,’ in to-night’s edition.” “ Even the very scrubs of the press receive such important intelligence earlier than I,” exelaimed the Prince, in a tone which proved how deeply he was mortified. “It is the most underhand thing I ever knew in all my life.” “Ican assure you that my friend Percy Booth, the editor, is no scrub,” said Meagles, somewhat annoyed at the suy.ercilious manner in which his Royal Highness spoke of the gentlemen of the press Collectively, and consequently of him individua!!y. en a a capital song—and is a famous hand with the gloves.” “No insult was intended to your friend, sir,” ob- served Airs. Fitzherbert, whose sensitiveness was shocked at the idea of a man’s amiable qualities being summed up in the singing of bacchanalian airs and in pugilistio skilfalness. | “So much the better, madam,” said Meagies, who saw that Mrs. Fitzherbert could barely tole- rate his presence: and, by way of retaliation, he remarked, “By the bye, your Royal Highness will be delighted with a certain French nobleman who longs to be preasmted to you. Heisa re.:- “Ah! indeed,” excisimed the heir-apparent, fancying that Meagles was adopting this indirect mode of letting him know that he had disoossred another rich emigeant, who, like the Marguis of St. Croix, would be glad & entrust his to the prinosly keeping. “ I ahalll ‘be pleased to ehow suitable attention to any Beanch nobleman whs has auffered throngh devation to his Sovereign. What is the name of your mewfarcign acgusiat “© The Marquis.of Beliaig” Meagiea;— and he threw a furtive glance towards Mrs. Sins herbeet-to natice the effect which 2he mention af this name would have upon ‘her. She turneil ashy pale, and foran instant appease to ree] upon her chair, as if aciged with a eadden vertigo: but resovering herself the next moment, ahe darted a rupid look at Meagles, to asscrtais whether he had any sinister meaning in thus intm- ducing the name of that nobleman. - Their eyes mat, and were instantaneously avertel; —and while the lady affected to ‘he arranging hor brooch, Meagles glanced towncils the Prince. His Royal Highness had ant cbeorved the . confusion on the part of Airs. Fitsherbert, nor the rapid looks that followed it: for he had fallen into a profound reverie, the matrimonial project de- vised by his father having sorely troubled him. “ Yes,” continued Meagies, who was determined to convince Mrs. Fitaherbert that she must not hope to domineer over him-or treat him with con. tempt in future,—* this Marquis of Bellois is a very nice man, and must have been uncommonly hand- some a few years ago. But I am afraid he is rather dissipated—indeed, that he is given to gambling. If so, he will find plenty of Evglish sharks ready to prey upon him.” “ We were discussing more important matters, I think, Mr. Meagles,” said Mrs. Fitzherbert, who had now recovered her eelf-possession: for a few mo- mente’ reflection had led her to believe—or rather to flatter herself—that the Marquis ef Belloits was too high-minded and generous a man to have betrayed her secret to Mr. Timothy Meagles. “We will return to the former topic, madam, since such is your pleasure,” obeerved this indi- vidual. “But, by the bye, the Marquis informed me that he had the honour of becoming acquamted with you, during your residence at Plombiers, and after- wards in Paris, several years ago.” An ice-bolt seemed to shoot through the heart af Mra. Fitzherbert, as Tim Meagies uttered these words in a measured tone, and with his gaze fixed intently upon her countenance. She felt that she was once snore turning deaJly pale—that her lips quivered— wee Oe ee ee _—_ GORMGOOOKXS co