The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 249: what you’re looking at

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

a i ee ee Ee, ae, TEE NEE EF TETa HP RTE 236 THE MYSTERIES. “Indeed!” cried the heir-apparent, his heart bounding with joy at thus discovering the abode of Pauline. “Is it possible that the sisters have re- turned to their old residence ?” “tis so possible, may it please your Royal High- ness,” answered the sententious Mr. Page, “that I have seen them there with my own eyes—heard them with my own ears—and spoken to them with my own tongue. And what makes the thing more curious, is that Paradise Villas stand just at that part of the Edgeware Road where your Royal Highness disappeared so singularly from the yellow hackney - coach on the memorable night that I chased you under the impression of your being the Aylesbury baronet. But, ah! if the Miss Claren- dons were living in Paradise Villas at the time,” added Mr. Page, with a sly look, “I can now un- derstand why your Royal Highness was visiting the neighboorhood that night, and where it was that you foand a most pleasant refuge.” “ And so the sisters have returned to their former home? said the heir-apparent, in a musing strain —so that all the latter portion of the speech just delivered by Mr. Page was completely lost upon his Royal Highness. “Ah! I can penctrate full easily into the motives of that sly puss, Miss Pauline,” he continued to mutter to himself, as he walked to the window and then back to the fire-place, in front of which he resumed the lounging position he had just quitted : “she thonght to escape me altogether —to throw me completely out of all possible cal- culations respecting her whereabouts! And upon my soul, it was excellently managed! No one would have thought of looking for her in her former home. Well, my good fellow,” said the Prince aloud, once more turning to Mr. Page, “and what have you got to communicate to me relative to these Miss Clarendons ?” “Your Royal Highness must be informed in the first. instance,” replied the ex-bagman, “that I happen to have taken a house next door to those young ladies. Now if I have a failing of my own, it is that I am inquisitive: and if I have the bump of perseverance, it assuredly is justified by the un- weariedness with which I pursue any particular object that interests me. Well, the very day I entered my new house— accompanied by Mrs. Page, be it understood—I inguired who were my next-door neighbours. The answers were soon given. Onmy right hand dwelt the Reverend Mr. Sneaksby, lately removed from Jermyn Street, as I understood: and on my left hand were the Misses Clarendon. Well, may it please your Royal High- ness, soon discovered that my neighbour Sneaksby is a canting humbug—saving your Royal High- ness’s presence—who gets drunk with a red-faced hypocrite called Paxwax, and who keeps a very pretty servant-girl named Ann Jones———” “ Well — but it is about the Miss Clarendons that yeu wish to speak to me, J fancied ?” inter- jected the Prince, who could scarcely prevent him- self from knocking Mr. Page down, so great was his impatience, and so wearied was he of the ex- bagman’s circumlocutory style. “To be sure it is,” cried Page, with as much self- possession as if he had never deviated for a single moment from the point. “In the same manner that I gleaned within a few hours as much as there was to know respecting Mr. Sneaksby, did I ascer- tain as much as it was possible to discover about | the two beautifal sisters dwelling on my left hand, So I learnt that they were the daughters of Lord Holderness, who has very recently married again—- that the elder, Miss Octavia, was not altogether right in her mind—that the younger, Miss Pauline, was like an angel to her unfortunate sister—and that they lived in the strictest seclusion, going no- where and seeing no one. Well, most illustrious Prince,” continued Mr. Page, “I felt particularly anxious to see these girls—and sure enough, in the evening, they went out into the little bit of a gar- den behind the house. Both were beautiful: but one was pale and had a sad look— while the other watched her with an earnestness of devotion that actually raised pious thoughts in my mind and made my eyes dim for a moment as if F was half inclined to weep. However—be that as i¢ may—there was no difficulty in discovering which was Octavia, and which was Pauline. I went out into my own garden—the gardens at the back ef these villas are only separated by a frail iron rail- ing, bordered on each side by low evergreens; and thas it was easy for me to introduce myself in a neighbourly fashion to the sisters. Besides, I am not a man to stick at trifles when once bent upon « particular object ;—and, I don't know how it was, but some strange sentiment of curiosity rivetted my interest upon those young ladies. I accordingly made them alow and most deferential salutation, and passed a comment upon the beauty of the evening. Octavia took no notice of me—she was. plunged in the moodiest abstraction: but Pauline answered me with courtesy, though by no means in a manner which gave any encouragement for a prolongation of the discourse. But, Lord bless your Royal Highness! I am not the man to take hints when I don’t choose: so I just pushed the conversation far enough to show the young lady that I wanted to get on a neighbourly sort of foot- ing—and then I bade her good night. Well, next evening, I was out in my garden again—and we conversed a little longer. Miss Pauline was not quite so distant—and she could be a sweet amiable girl ifshe chose! I am sure of that /” “No doubt of it,” exclaimed the Prince: «but pray come to the point, and tell me in which way and to what extent all these circumstances are of im- ce to me.” “J shall have finished my explanatious in a few minutes, may it please your Royal Highness,” said Mr. Page: “and in order to get as near the end as I will at once observe that after two or three evenings of neighbourly chit-chat from one garden to the other, I ventured to introduce my wife—that is to say, the accomplished and well- looking Mrs. Page whom your Hoyal Highness saw at Stamford Manor--—” “I recollect perfectly,” interrupted the Prince, with ill-concealed im “Pray proceed. You were saying that you introduced Mrs. Page to the two young ladies” “Such was the fact,” resumed the ex-bagmas. “ But the Hon. Miss Octavia Clarendon took little or no notice of my good lady—whereas the Hon. Miss Pauline Clarendon appeared rather pleased at the prospect of having some female companionship. And now I mast inform your Royal Highness that this introduction of which I am speaking took place on the evening of the Sth instamt—to-day, you know, is the 9th———” ae, GOH GOO co