The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 248: what you’re looking at

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

his appearance with the announcement that a eer- tain Mr. Rage craved an audience upon matters which he alleged to be of some importance. “Page —Fage?” murmured the Prince, with mingled impatienee and cnricsity. “Surely I should know that name? Whatsort of a looking man is he, Germain ?” “ Abont forty-five or forty-six, may it please your Royal Highness,” was the reply : * thin com- tenante-.engular feataree—sallow complexivn— resticss eyes” “The bagthan, to be sure !" ejaculated the Prince. “I resellect the fellow new. But what can he want with me?” “ He says: that he shall not detain your Royal Highness a minute,” observed the French valet; “and éhat he ean communicate somethimg which it is advisable your Royal Highnese should know.” “'Well_I will ses him,” said the Prince, after a moment's consideration: then, so soon as Germain had quitted the apartment, he muttered to hin- self, “This man Page is a shrewd, cunning, and active kind of a fellow. I saw enough of him on two oocmsivas to satisfy me of that. The first was the memorable adventare of the George and Biue Bear: the other was at Stamford Manor. But what on earth ean he want with me ?--and what ean. he have to comninniocnte 7” ‘Ties musing, the Prince pacid the room; and in a few minutes the ex-bajyman was introduced into the royal presence. Germain withdrew; and Mr. Page, who was attired in the most fashionable etyle, and whose appearance and manners combined the servility of « waiter at a Bond Street Hotel with the affeeted dandyiem of « Burlington Arcade hair.dresser, confounded himself in bows and ecrapingsas he advanced towards the Prince. “Well, Mr. Page, what do you want with me?” demanded his Royal Highness, impatiently. “I eannot explain myself in a moment, great Prinee,” said the ex-bagman; “and your Royal Highness must bear with me. In fact, permit me ‘@o0 recover my breath, which the honour and pleasure of moanting all those marble steps have quite taken away.” And Mr. Page gave a couple of long gasps as he chus spoke. “Now, then, perhaps you will enlighten me re- epectiig the purport of your visit ?” said the Prince, after waiting patiently—or rather with suppressed ence—for upwards of a mitrute. “T will come to the point in a moment, may it please your Reyal Highness,” resumed Page. “ But I think I ought to observe, by way of prefaco— prologae—or introduction, that I am a man of eound discretion and consummate prudence, — seeing and hearing in reality e that takes place -:aronnd me—but ostensibly neither seeing nor hearing anything more than {is precisely suit- abile-—_* “I understand you, Mr. Page,” observed the Prinee, drily: “in fact, you are © man of the world -—and that is saying everything.” “So it is, your -Royal Highness—so it is!™ ex- claimed the ‘bowing sycophant. “On the first occasion that I had the honour to come in contact ‘with vour Royal Highness, the adventure ‘was teidicrons enough. I took your Royal Highness for Sir Richard-Stamford, and chased your Royal Highness up the Edgeware Road—— arene interne ee. ee, Se 238 “Well, well, sir,” cried the Prince, impatiently. “Oh! your Royal Highness has since forgiven me for that affair,” exclaimed Page. “You re- member, great Prince—on: the second occasion ‘when I had the honour to meet your Royal High- ness—at Stamford Manor—about six weeks ago— when your Royal Highness was accompanied by the beautiful and brilliant Duchess of Devon- shire-—_” “How, sit?—you discovered ‘who that lady was ? —you knew her, then, at the time?” ejaculated the Prince, angrily. “ Now do you give me credit for discretion, may it please your Royal Higtness?” cried Mr. Page, in a manner humbly deprecatory of the royal wrath. “The circumstance oo Res never passed the are cither myself or J that, is to say, “Ah! and you knew that it was the Duchess— eh?” said the Prince, ina musing tone. “ Weil, you are certainly the most accomplished te and the most finished dissembler I ever encountered in all my Hfe: for I could have sworn that you en- tertained not the faintest suspicion of who the lady really was. But, come, Mr. Page—be frank and candid, and we shall not continue the less friendly,” said his Royal Highness, in a coaxing style: “ did you actually know from the very first moment who she was? —or have you discovered the secret since?” “Of what import can the explanation possibly be to your Royal Hiyhness,” demanded Page,— “seeing that I de know who the lady is—and that pei ore-it all comes to the same thing in the end ?” “It only matters thus far,” responded the Prince, fn a tone of mingled hauteur and contempt,—“ that you seem to be beating about the bush a great deal; and I am therefore anxious to obtain an insight into what is passing in your mind, sinoe you do not appear disposed to vouchsafe an expla- nation.” “Pardon me, great Prince,” said Page, with a low bow: “I have no sinister purpose in view. [Uf I alluded to past incidents, it was merely to convince your Royal Highness, upon the testimony which they farnish, that I am as keen as I am trustworthy —as sharp as Tam prudent—as penetrating as I am wary. And if your Royal Highness were not to be thus made acquainted with my true character, you would wonder how on earth I could possibly come to know anything about the beautiful but an- happy Octavia Clarendon.” “Octavia Clarendon !* echoed the Prince, turning pale and staggering as if struck with a sudden pang at the heart: then, instantaneously recovering himself, as he saw the ex-bagman’s keen eyes fixed searchingly upon him, he said in a tone of assumed indifference, “ What have you to tell me concerniug Miss Clarendon ?” “Not mueh—bnt still enough to render it neces- sary to be communicated to your Royal Highness,” answered Mr. Page. “The long and short of the matter is that I have recently moved into a nice little house in the Edgeware Road—Paradise Villas the place is called-——” « Ah! that is where the Clarendons used to live,” exclaimed the Prince. “ And where the two young ladies live now,” re- joined Page. -_—_——- ee ElOOO® SS co