The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 301: what you’re looking at

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

-_-_ pep Ge ee te eS 2 eee eS _-—- w —— -— eo ae » - had = @™e « - a- ~~ mee Mee cee we oe |” 990 THE MYSTERIES. hurry him into such a dilemma. But regrets were now useless; —and he must make the best retreat he possibly could from a most ignominious and perilous difficulty. | “ You require a written pledge to the effect that I will interest myself on behalf of those men whom you have named?” he said, after a few moments’ hurried communing with himself. _ “That is what we require,” exclaimed the . Kinchin-Grand. { “Hold your tongue, Bill,” cried Carrotty Poll, in her sharp vixenish tones; “and let Lizzy Marks conduct the business.” | We not only require such a pledge as your ' Royal Highness has mentioned,” said the Gallows’ : Widow; “but likewise a positive undertaking that , its object shall be carried into effect. In plain | terms, we demand and stipulate that you shall guarantec us the lives of Stephen Price and Joseph Warren. More we cannot ask for. We do not ingist-upon free pardons: those, we are well aware, you could not procure, all Prince though you are. But we feel assured that carn obtain a commu- tation of the death-sentenees which are certain to be passed———” “And wo will agree that my father and Joe Warren shall be transported for life,” added Car- rotty Poll, seeing that the Gallows’ Widow hesi- tated fora moment. “But we won't let them be hanged.” . “ Egad ! you are usurping powers which I cannot pretend to possess myself,” exclaimed the Prince. “ But I will give you the written undertaking, not. withstanding——” : “Sealed by your signet-ring,” remarked the Gal- lows’ Widow. “ Otherwise yom may deny your handwriting to-morrow morning.” “ And here are pens and papef all ready,” said Carrotty Poll. We brought them with us to pre- vent any delay from taking place. There is an inkstand upon the mantel.” “Affairs of this kind are multiplying thick upon me,” thought the Prince within himself, as he remembered the agreement which he had been com- pelled to sign in favour of Tim Meagles a few days previously : but anxious to put an immediate end to the present scene, and fearing lest Pauline should be awakened and thus escape his libidinous intent, the royal voluptuary sate down at the table and hastlly drew up in writing the promise that was demanded at his hands. While he was thus engaged, Carrotty Poll whispered to the Gallows’ Widow, “ What shall we do when he has finished the document? Are we to leave Miss Clarendon in his power?" “€an you think of such a thing for a moment ?” asked Lizzy, tn the same subdued tone as that in which the Big Beggarman's daughter spoke. “ Has not Lord Florime! behaved in the handsomest man- ner towards us ?—did ho not givo us five hundred pounds on account for the services we were to per- form?—and will he not reward us with a propor- tionate liberality when we tell him how we rescued Miss Pauline from the embraces of that wretched voluptuary? His lordship is out of town now: but he will doubtless return short! ” “Tam sure I don’t want to help the Prince in any of his tricks,” interrupted Carrotty Poll. “He is one of the people’s worst oppressors—and I fate kim on that account. Besides, as you say, eT ee ° Pe oe cml are eee ; : > it is more to our interest to keep right with Lon Florime!.” “And in addition to all that,” interposed the Kinchin-Grand, who listened attentively to the whispered dialogue of his female accomplices, “you know that Shickster Sal pleaded on behalf of that Miss Clarendon, who, she says, is a nice young lady and oughtn’t to be harmed. Sal has taken quite a fancy to Miss Clarendon ; and we musn’t do anything that will displease the Shickster after she’s bchaved so well in all this here business.” “Then we'll just put a stopper on the Prince’s proceedings,” said Carrotty Poll, “the moment weve got the document safe in our possession. And then we'll deal with those cursed Pages———” “And take at’ mstalment of our vengeance,” added the Gaflows’ Widow, with an ominous look— as much as to imply that a far deeper retaliation than any which they this night sought, would be vented in the long run against the ex-bagman and his wife. “ Now, I have finished this paper,” suddenly ex- claimed the Prince of Wales, who had sercral times, while engaged in writing, observed with un- easiness the low and carnest whispering that was going on amongst the three intruders. “ Let us read it,” said the Gallows’ Widow: and taking up the paper, which was duly signed and sealed, she perused i¢ with deliberation, the Kin- chin-Grand reading it over her shoulder on one side and Carrotty Poll doing the same on the other. “That will do,” she observed, calmly folding it up and securing it m her bosom: “and now your Royal Highness can take your departure.’) “Take my departure!” ejaculated the Prince, struck with dismay. “ You mean that you are about to take your departure !” “ Indeed, I mean no sqch thing,” said the Gallows’ Widow, coldly but firmly. “Come—no more words —but be off! We are here to protect Miss Pau- line Clarendon—and not to aid in her ruin.” © “But this proceeding on your part,” urged the Prince, “is not calculated to ensure my connte- nance and support.” “Perhaps not,” returned Lizzy Marks, laconi- cally. “But this paper will do so,” she added, laying her hand upon her bosom. “Can nothing move you ?” demanded the Prince, in a tone of the bitterest vexation. “Money—any amount you require—a hundred guineas——” “A hundred fiddlesticks'!” ejaculated Carrotty Poll, in an acrid tone of contempt. “For every guinea you can offer us to betray Miss Clarendon, we shall receive two for protecting her. So one word is as good as forty; and if your Royal High. ness was to stand there arguing with us for an hour, it would be no use.” “Not 2 ha’porth,” added the Kinchin-Grand, by way of clenching the areument. “Then I shall not condescend to argue tho point any farther,” said the helr-apparent, trembling with a rage to which he dared not give vent. And stalking forth from the chamber where his anticipated triuniph had been so signally changed into the bitterest disappointment, he hastily de- scended the stairs —put on his hat and cloak in the hall—and quittcd the house, smarting under a sense of the most painfal humiliation, and cursing his unlucky stars which appcared to be so com. pletely in the ascendant. oO le OED = whee -— eqwem aa 24 © ecomilcooolks i(GQ mn