The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 218: what you’re looking at

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

bound to give them with frankness—although in sorrow,’ added Lady Jersey, with every appearance of sincerity in tone, look, and manner. “ Go on—go on,” exclaimed the Prince, hurriedly “wish you to speak frankly—I thank you for this eandour. Itis aproof of your love—your friend- ship,” he continued, vainly struggling against the of his feelings ;—“ and it is the more kind and considerate on your part, Frances, because I am now prepared for the worst—the very worst— and the crowning shock, when we meet face to face, will be the less terrible! Go on, then—go on.” se lane bust of the Princess,” continued the patri- cian intriguande, “is fall and large: but there does not appear to be that plumpness—that firmness— which you adore so much ;”—and, as she thus spoke with an affected bashfulness and in a simpering tone, she looked down at her own exuberant charms which rose so grandly from the corsage that left them half revealed. “ How cruelly I have been deceived by every one except by you /” cried the Prince, in a tone of ex- ceeding bitterness. “My brother—the Princess's portrait—my own private emissary at Brunswick the—newspapers—all have represented Caroline as a beauty——” * And do you think, dear George, that I would mislead you for a single moment?” interrupted Lady Jersey, in her softest and most insinuating tones. “Such a proceeding on my part were ri- diculous : because within the next hour or two you will have met your future wife, and have had an op- portunity to judge for yourself.” sad Yes—yee—I believe you, my sweet friend—I believe you,” murmured the Prince, not knowing how to restrain the bitter vexation which the design- ing woman had thus succeeded in exciting within him. “But pray resume your description—and let me be fully prepared for aJl that I may have to en- counter.” “There is assuredly nothing elegant nor yet graceful in the figure of her Royal Highne.:s,” said Lady Jersey : and here we may perhaps a3 well ob. serve that the Princess Caroline was spoken of as her Royal, instead of Serene Highness (t: umpery distinction !) from the instant that she landed in England, and before her marriage with the heir- apparent took place. “As for the bearing of her Royal Righness being majestic,” continued Lady Jersey, “such a statement could only be looked apon as one of those fulsome compliments which are in variably paid to royal or illustrious personages. For no individual would be so disloyal and no news- paper so bold as to proclaim the real truth,” added her ladyship. “It is the grovelling, servile, and spaniel-like character of Englishmen to puff off everything royal, simply because it is royal. In their eyes Royalty cannot be ugly, wicked, in- elegant, or disgusting. But were the same truth to oc told of the Princess Caroline of Brunswick as would be spoken were she a cook or a dairy-maid, her personal appearance would be summed up in these terms:—Pretty face, but bold and impudent expression—reddish hair—large and lascivious- looking eyes—big Roman nose—coarse lips—pig's eyo-brows— decaying teeth—consequently bad breath—-short thick neck—large bust, but the ful- ness of which seems more matron-like than virginal —projecting shoulder-blades—short stature—com - $$$ _ mon-looking and vulgar figure—mien anything bet imposing—gait decidedly awkward.” “And such is the future Princess of Wales— aye, and the future Queen of England !” said the heir-apperent, in a slow, measured, and solemn Carrer eee errr reerrrreereeeeee cere eee eens Saas THE NYSTERIES. tone, as if he were taking in at ane deliberative | glance all the defects that had just been enume- rated and which were so well calculated to shock | | and disgust even a mind far leas sensitive than his own. “But, by the living God!” he exclaimed, suddenly becoming passionately excited, — “ she shal] never be Queen of England! No—they may compel me to accompany her to the altar and | thereby make her Princess of Wales—but I swear, by heaven and by hell! that she shall never be Queen of England !” As he gave utterance to these mingled impreca- tions and asseverations, his Royal Highness again | started to his feet and began to pace the room with | rapid and uneven steps; while, the moment his back was turned towards her, an expression of | fiend-like triumph swept over the lovely counte- nance of Lady Jersey. “Have you anything more to tell me, my dear | friend ?” abruptly demanded the Prinos, as he stopped short at the expiration of a minute, and, abandoning his agitated walk, retarned to the sofa. ‘¢T have explained my impressions relative to the personal appearance of her Royal Highness,” « aié Lady Jersey, affecting an extreme reluctan.e to continue the topic : “what more can I tel! you?” “ Her manners—her mind_ her ac-comolish- ments,” exclaimed the Prince, hurr’ -dly : you nothing to sfy on all those poj ats? Did ou yourself receive no impressions re\ative thereto? — did Mrs. Harcourt vouchsafe n » confidential com. munications? —was Malmesbury himself utterly silent? Come —I see py your looks that you are not altogether ignorant on those heads——” “But if I have nothing cheering—nothing fa- vourable to mpart ?” interrupted her ladyship, still affecting reluctance. “ At all events it will be the frath,” was the im- mediate response of the Prince, who was thus drinking in with unconscious avidity all the poisoned draughts of misrepresentation and exagyeration which the artful woman poured into his soul. “You ‘force me into revelations and avowals which give me exquisite pain because I see that they hurt you,” said herladyship. “ But since you are so obstinate, Iam bound to obey. You must know, then, that while the Princess retired for a short time after luncheon, I had an opportanity of conversing with Mrs. Harcourt. It was then that she told me the anecdote concerning the extracted tooth at Osnabruck. She is a woman of keen per- ception—retentive memory—and gossiping dispo- sition: she talks rapidly, and imparts a vast amount of information in an incredibly short space of time. Accordingly, I learnt that the Princess Caroline is so ignorant, she cannot write a deceut hand, much less spell accurately.” “Good heavens! is this indeed possible?” ex- claimed his Royal Highness, now more than vexed. * Why, it is a positive insult to me— to the Royal Family—to the British nation, to have sent over such a creature to be my wife. But go on—go on: nothing will surprise me now !” “Mrs. Harcourt informs me,” resumed Lady Jersey, “that the Princess is volatile, frivolom, t : ! “AVG | a naa DOO SS