The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 69: what you’re looking at

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

ne Te ee 64 CHAPTER CXXXVIIL. TRE DISPOSAL OF THE CORPSE. | In the meantime Harriet had proceeded with light, , quick, and noiseless step to the chamber of Fre- ' derick Dray, the junior of the two footmen in the ' employ of Mrs. Brace. He was a young and handsome man—tall and | well-formed—possessing good hair, eyes, aud teeth — and entertaining by no means a bad opinion of his own qualifications, both personal and intellectual. Selfish and profligate, extravagant and uopsincipled, treacherous and hypucritical, Frederick Dray was in reality a moat dangerous character, although the worst features of his disposition had as yet received no opportunity of manifesting themselves in the household of Mrs. Brace. Thas, although Harriet was upon the utmost terms of intimacy with this individual, she was far from suspecting how tho- roughly heartless he was, and how capable of any turpitude in order to enhance his own interests or further his own views ! On the particular night in question, he had not jong ascended to bis own chamber when a slight tap at the door announced the presence of tie lady’s- maid, who has already been described in the early part of our narrative as a fine handseme young woman, about twenty years of age. Frederick, who had not begun to undress, was by mo means astonished at this visit; and therefore the reader may rest assured that it was not the first time he had thus been favoured with the presence of Harriet in his bed-room at an hour when modesty would have blushed at the proceeding, “ Well, my dear girl,” he said, ia a tone half kind and half superciliously conceited, “ you cannot do without me—-eh? Must eome to your Frederick 's arms ?—couldn’t live a week away from him ?” “You know that I love you, Fred,” she observed, going up to him: as he sate upon his bed, and throw- ing her arm round his neck. “ Well, I am not astonished that you should like me a little,” he exclaimed : “ for [ am not the ugliest fellow in the world—nor yet the greatest fool But what is the matter with you, Harriet?" he demanded, observing that there was semething singular, or at all events unusual, in the young woman’s looks and manner. “ Frederick,” she said, not exaotly replying to bis question, “ you are aware that [ shall not be able to coneeal my position much longer. Will you not fulfil your promise—and—aad marry me, without farther delay t” “Tt is all very easy, my girl, to talk of marriage,” responded the canceited footman; “ but where the devil is the money te come from? ’Tis true that I get good wages and pick up many perquisites and presents in this house: but I don’t know how thd deuce it is, the money does run away so fast——” “ Because you are so very, very extravagaot, Fred,” | interrupted Harriet. “ However, I de not mean to | reproach you,” she added, assuming her most coax- | ing and endearing manner: “for Lam very fond of you—and I know that if you had the means, you would fulfil your promise and marry me.” ‘Well, I don’t know but what I might,” said the ,young man: “that is te say,” he added, with a i of extreme animal grossness, “ if [ was sure en ee a a aaa Lae ed | — = oe that the child which you ave soen te bring forth, fe really my own.” “I take God to witness my oath that it is!” ejaen- lated Htartiet, her countenance flashing with excite- ment, “Come, you needn't pat yourself into « rage, my dear,” said her paramour, with the most hsughty indifference: “for you are very well aware that I was not the first—nor the second ——” “But you kaow that I have remained faithfh? te you, Fred, from the moment that yon began to pay your addresses to me,” interrupted Harriet, the tears starting mto her eyes; * and it fs not generous to | reproach me for the past—particalarly as I never attempted to deceive you on that score. I admitted that Lord Montgomery had seduced me in the first instance, aud thet Lord WFierime) hed afterwards been intimate with nee: but nome other save your- se a, | “Well, well—we won't quazsre! about 8, Harriet,” | exclaimed the footman. “Conte — to um. dress ——" “Oh! buat you have not yet answered my ques- tion,” interrupted the young woman, impatiently- “T¥ wish to know whether your would marry me, if we had enough money to set us up in lousekeep- | ing dea “You really begin to make me suspeet that you | have either picked up a purse er found a treasure - in some nook,” sald the man-servant : * or else on€ | ef your former lovers has promised te give yous | dowry. Come—which is it?” “And suppose ig really was something of the | sort?” exclaimed Harriet, with an arch smile witch | displayed her fine feeth and made her large bine , eyes look roguish as weil as naturally wanton. “ The truth is, my dear girl,” responded the self. sufficient feotman, caressing his whiskers,—* and I inay as well relieve you of all euspense at once, — ! I have vewed within myself that I will never bestow my hand upon any young woman who cannet show me a dowry of five hundred guiness. So now there can be no misunderstanding between us.” “Not at all!” ejacaiated the indy’s-mahi, overt joyed at the manner in which the conversation was now progressing. “To come te the point at once, then, lean put you in the way of obtaining five hundred and fifty guineas this very aight—and if you keep your promise and marry me, Mrs, Brace | will give you a hundred more.” | “Mrs. Brace! What has she get to do with the matter?” demanded Frederick Dray, turning an incredulous look upon his handsome mistress. “Ob! I will explain everything in a moment,* che replied: “but give me the promise-——” * Well—I swear to marry yeu upon those eondi- tions,” exclaimed the footman. “ Indeed, I shall be most happy to do so, and shan’t consider that I’m flinging myself awey, Bat what is required of me in order to earn the five huadred and fifty guineas ? —and what the devil has our mis’sus to de with the affair ¢” “ Listen—and don’t start with astonishment, be- . eause you'll frighten mre—nor yet cry out, because you'll alarm the house. Bat the truth is,” continued | the abigail, her tone suddenly becoming seriews aod her manner solema, “a man has died of apoplexy in | Mrs. Brace's bed-room—and the corpse must be dis- | posed of this very nigh!” * No!—is this possible, Harriet?” were the qace | DOO SS co