The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 114: what you’re looking at

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101 “ And who was kind enough to bring me home ?” inquired the nobleman, his heart sinking lower and lower every instant. “ Your lordship arrived in a carriage——” “ Whose carriage?” was the demand uttered with almost savage impatience. “JI do not know, my lord,” returned Gilbert. “Tt was a plain one of dark colour——” “ Ah!” again ejaculated Montgomery, remem- bering a certain point in Florimel’s narrative where the barouche was similarly described. “ But goon. Who came with me?” “ A footman had charge of your lordship-——” «A tall man—a very tall man ?” exclaimed the Earl, the fever of his impatience amounting al- most to a frenzy. “J believe he was, my lord,” responded the valet: ‘‘ but really I took little notice of him—un- less it was to observe that he stadiouSly averted his countenance from the light of the street-lamp, as he helped to lift your lordship ont of the carriage." “But did he say nothing ?” demanded Mont- gomery. “ Merely that your lordship had indulged some- what too freely where you had passed the even- ing,” replied thevalet. “Theoarriage immodiately drove away, and I put your lordship to bed.” “ You may retire,” said the nobleman. Gilbert accordingly withdrew; and the instant the door closed bebind him, the unhappy Earl gave vent to his tortured feelings in a moan of indes- cribable angnish—and, burying his head in the pillows, he yielded to all the excruciating agonies of his terrible reflections. For he now remembered that he had placed not only his honour, but his very life, in the hands of a woman totally unknown to him; and the termination of his interview with her was by no means of a reassuring nature. Indeed, it was impossible to blind himself to the damning fact that, with the most exquisite skill and a marvellous refinement of astuteness, she had suo- ceeded in wheedling him out of secrets which might be used against him with an effect that he shuddered to contemplate. Recoiling in horror from this stage of his agonising reflections, he cureed—Oh! how bit- terly, bitterly he cursed his folly—his worse than folly—his madness—raving, stark, staring, in- comprehensible madness—in divulging such tre- mendous secrets to an utter stranger. But the evil was done: it was irrevocable as are all deeds which belong to the past ;—and like too many of those incidents in the life of man, it left behind bitter food for reflection. CHAPTER CXLVIIL THE PIOUS TRAVELLEBS. Tas morning which followed the night of the masquerade and all the incidents resulting there- from, was clear, bright, and beautiful. At about half-past nine o'clock on thissaid agreo- able morning, two individuals might have been ob- served riding quietly along the road running through Blackheath. Oe was mounted upon an ‘ animal which its proprietor no doubt called a horse: but ig was the most wretched specimen of akin and bonds that was ever compelled to por- Cee N,Q, EEEE—eeeEeeeeEeEeeEeeeeeeeed form active service instead of being immolated at a knackers’ yard forthe benefit of ssusage-makers and purveyors of cats’meat. The other individual was seated upon the back—or rather the hind- quéditters of one of those useful quadrupeds called donkeys; and instead of keeping by the side of his companion, he rode respectfully behind him. But who are these travellers that must even at the first glance remind our readers so strongly of Don Quixote and Sancho Panza? who are these wayfarers, mounted upon beasts that certainly might have a more comely a noe? The one aitting so demurely on the back of the wretched Rozinante, is none other than our dearly- beloved friend the Rev. Mr. Nathaniel Sneakaby, —and the humble individual! bestriding the noble asa, is his faithful follower, Mr. Ichabod Paxwax. And if they were eny other than two such highly respectable and soul-saving “vessels” we should be disposed to laugh heartily at the ridiculous figure which they both cut on the present occasion ; but being the leaders of the New.Lights, we must contemplate their progress with awe and record their adventures with as much gravity as we can command for the purpose. At the same time, wé are bound to admit that there was considerable extenuation on behalf of the small boys who roared, and yelled, and hooted as the reverend travellers passed by the spots where they were playing: for Mr. Sneaksby had evidently put on his most pathetic air of sanctimonious misery and had screwed up his countenance to the ex- tremest pitch of pious wretchedness—while Mr. Paxwax look uncommonly like a man who, having been awfully drunk over-night, labours under the effect of an excruciating headache next morning, and wears an aspect as doleful as if he were just going to be hanged. Slowly did the Rev. Nathaniel Sneaksby and Ichabod Paxwax journey: along,—the horse on which the former was mounted, maintaining a shuffling shambling pace, as if it were as pious as its rider and had a violent inclination to fall upon its knees—and the donkey jogging onward in a sullen, obstinate, dogged manner as if he had made up his mind that no earthly power should be able to impel him into an accolerated speed. “Five miles have we ridden, Brother Pax wax,” said Mr. Sneaksby, at length breaking a long gilonce and glancing at a mile-stone as he spoke ; “and verily it hath taken us two hours to achieve this much of our journey.” “ T'wo mortel hours, Brother Sneaksby,” an- awered Ichabod; “aad, behold! my nether parts are already sorely inflamed by the unpleasant motion of this obstinate beast.” ‘‘ Of a surety, when I behold the trouble which thine animal causeth thee, Brother Paxwax,” said Mr. Sneaksby, ‘I no longer marvel that Balaam should have been by his ass.” “ And if Balaam had possessed a horse, he as- suredly would not have ridden the ass,” rejoined Mr. Ichabod Paxwax, somewhat savagely. ; “‘ My dear brother, thou art impatient,” sald the Rev. Mr. Gueaksby, in a tone of gentle remon- strance. . “Why, when one is pretty well raw exactly where itis mostinconvenient to beso,” observed Ichabod, with continued acrimony in his tone, “it is enough to make im somewhat ruffled in his temper.” “ Thou art deficient in grace, Brother Paxwax,” said his leader, reproachfally. COUMIUC DOO SS EP” . © @GQoe—2 GP on