The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 228: what you’re looking at

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

| | * Jesnrodiy, your Reyal Highness, And yet-——”" “ Then how can I have teo much of any virtae ?* bury. “But in proportion as we divest ourselves of virtues, wo must naturally assume vices in their place,” exclaimed the Princess. “The conventional laws of etiquette stamp vices es virtues in such oases,” rejoined “Thea, ina word, I sin expected to throw aff my natural skin and assume an artifielal one alto- gether?” said Caroline. “ May I be permitted to observe that the alla- “« Allusion to what, in heaven’s name ?” demanded Caroline, in perfect amazement. * Who made the allusion ?” “ Your Royal Highness,” was the response. “ And to what did I allude, then 7” “Ig is impossible——-Qh ! no —-I could not think of repeating——” “Then hew am I to know another time?” “True |” ejaculated Malmesbury. “ And for that reason I must explain myself. Your Royal High- ness spoke of your Royal 7 eines salam your Royal Highnessa—akin Anda his lordship gave a reat gasp, as if it were with an exhausting effort that he had brought him- self to utter so dreadful a word;—while the Princess, after staring at bim for nearly a minute in arder to ascertain whether he could possibly be serious, threw herself back in her chair and yielded to a fit of such hearty laughter that the joyous peals might have been heard, and very likely were, in the ad- jacent rooms. The Earl of Malmesbury was now perfectly aghast. This laughter was, in his estimation, most vulgar—most commonplace—most plebeian—moast indecent. The Prince might arrive at any moment; —end what would he think of a royal lady who could still be as merry as a school-girl? Tha thing was altogether preposterous: it was intolerable— and Lord Malmesbury ventured to appreach the Princess and stand before her, making eix or seven consecutive bows fall of ominous meaning. ‘ Well—what is wrong now?” demanded the hilarious Princess, with the tears running down these cheeks on whieh the usual hloom was now heightened inte a perfect glow by the enthusisem of her merriment. “ What is wrong now, my lord ?” “ That laughter, may it please your Royal High- ness,” was the response. * What! would you have me laugh on the other side of my moath 2?” exclaimed Caroline, wiping the tears from her eyes. “ Permit me to observe that the phrase ‘ Laugh on the ether ride of tha mouth,’ is not by any means a pretty one,” said the Earl. “I¢ savours of the nursery.” “Ah! would to heaven I were yet there—and that I had never grown up to leave it !” exclaimad the Princess, in a tone of deep feeling, as a pre- sentiment of approaching evil suddenly struck like a chill to her heart. “But let us go back to the opening topic of our conversation,” she said, after 215 s few moments’ profound pause. “You were asking me how I liked the reception which I experienced at the hands of the Royal Family? I will answer you frankly. The King was warm and cordial towards me: but there wes something so singular in his look that I really fancied he was going crazy again. “ Your Royal Highness!” ejaculated Malmesbury, throwing up his arms in a perfect consternation. “Tt is almost as bad as treason to give utterance to such dreadful words.” “ What! is the truth treason in England?” in- quired the Princess, with the most unaffected ingenuousness. “I thought that you Englishmen boasted of your freedom and your glorious Const- tation: but I have not beem many hours in your country without hearing quite enough to convince me that your vaunted liberty is all non- sense.” “May I beseech your Royal Highness” ex- claimed the Earl, glancing with intenre uneasiness towards the door. “Suppose the Prince did come in at this moment,” said Caroline, “he would not be angry with me for expressing such an opinion as that which I have justenunciated. Bat I will return to the topic whence your interjected remonstrance led me aside. Well, then, the King received me warmly aad cordially—the Queen with a manner which might have been stately courtesy, but which appeared to me to be a studied coldness. However, I care nothing aé all for her or her humours——" “Good heavens! your Royal Highness speaks thas of the Queen?” ejaculated Malmeshary, turn- ing up. the whites of his eyes. “ And wherefore not?” demanded Caroline. “My aunt the Princess-Abbess one day at Branswick whispered in my ear that the Queen of England was known as ‘ Old Snuffy Charlotte /’” “God me for being the listener to such treason |” murmured the Earl of Malmesbury, his countenance now elongating to s degree which could not have been exceeded were he about to be hanged. “ As for the Princesses Sophia and Amelia,” coa- tmued Caroline, without stopping to take much notice of the prim courtier’s distress at her obser- vations, they are nice, unassuming, amiable young women—and Iam certain we shali get on famonaly together. They are very handsome, too —end splendid figures: bat both of them look as if they were married—or ought to be. They have @ certain matrenly air about them ——” “Smch observations, may it please your Royal Highness, are decidedly improper,” interrupted the Kari of Malmesbury. “Nothing pleases your lordship,” said Caroline, impatiently. “If the Prince be only one-tenth as particular-——But talking of the Prince reminds me that I have not expressed my opinion of the Dukes of Cumberland and Chrence. The former | looks like a murderous roffian—and the latter like | an idiot.” The Earl of Malmesbury was about to remam strate for the hundredth time when a page entered —and immediately retired. “ Your Royal Highness,” said the nobleman, “let . me implore you to recollect all the good counsd | | approached bis lordship—whispered a few words | ElOOO® SS