The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 73: what you’re looking at

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

ea ce 2c SS 8s TRE MTSTLRIES, > “You are a good youth, Rao,” said the young aobleman, in a kind tone. The black page acknowledged this compliment with a more perceptible inclination of bis slender fri; and, gliding from the room, he alesest imme- diately returned to usher in Earl Moatgomery. This nobleman, whose name has alzesdy been qore than ence mentioned ta our narrative, was about thirty years ef age. His countenance was a perfect specimen of manly beauty, the facial ontline being of the pare Geeek form, and the fire of the large dark eyes being only subdued by the long jetty lashes which shadedthem. His brows were grandly arched; and his fae forehead ssemed fitted to serve as the throne of the neblest thoughts: but there was a certam empression about the mouth which somewhat se@llsGed the effect of the upper part of the counéeaance. Yet thet mouth was perfect as a feature—aauall, wah lige neither teo thin nor teo full ~and fiesemhed with teeth white and pure as those of a charuniag wosmen. Nowertheless there was at times 8 esrtale eusi—er sathes a wsingle) wreathing snd cocspression of thave ligs—which gare s anis- ler looks to the whole esuatémence and Same marred’ tie open, frawk, and geeeseus aspect of tes noble lurehead and the moaguifjesst brows. It aemst hew- ever have been s toberably aeute observer @ notice this ofct; aad thes te tee world in geassal Lord Montygomery’s eogutensmes appeared te coanbase every essential tp perfect aeanby beauty. His hair was bleek, curling matarally,e0d dhining with so rich a glows of its own, as to reniies neodles the ungueats of paxfazserss and he possansed a su- perb pair of wiielters whick uss shaguely Snged wid a dark anturs a¢ the seste, bas apeciily grew inte a black as jetey and as beaght 2s the hate. "mis sta- ture was of tie middling height; and his fesus com- pined graceful ayyemetry with muscular powex. He jressed well—had s rieb melodions velse—aung on xxcellent song—wae a famees herssuan—had o taste br literature and xwete beautiel postry — damced gracefully—fenced admirably—wus esnsidered to te somewhat addicted to all kinds of Casibennble dissi- pation—and was therefore a great favourite both with the male and feinale portions of the aristoeratse world. Such was Lord Montgomery—a British peer, with an estate tolerably well encumbered by mortgages, and whose signature was by no means unknown amongst the bill -discounters in the city: but he was went to profess great cenfidenes as to the law-suit which was pending in Chaneesy with regard to the Bekenden estates, and in the sesult of which process. he had no mean intewest. Ruao, the black page, hewing duly ushered Lord Montgomery into the presence of his neaster, imme- tiately retived; and the grectings whieh teek place between the two nublemen indicated the very friendly terms whiereon they stood with each other. “We have been quite strangers lately, my dear Gabriel,” said the Earl, taking a seat; “and, there- tere [ was resolved to cali upon you thus early thie morning, and have a friendly confabulation.” ‘Noone could possibly be more welcome, Eugene,” teturned Florimei. “And how progresses the law- suit ?” “Favourably enough, I think — and indeed, I hope,” observed Lord Montgomery. “ éleaven knows it is pretty nearly time that it should be de- cided in one way or another, considering that it has now /asted Bo less than thirty years.” Vas = es a SS, “But how, in the name of common sense, can if have been thus protracted?” demanded Lord Florimel. “In the first place, my dear friend,” responded Montgomery, “ every one knows that it is much more easy to get into Chancery than to get out of it. <A weere Infamous tribunal never disgraced civilization, the [ngnisition perhaps being alone excepted. Well, then, the delays of that accursed court have been the prominent and inevitable enemies against which we have had to contend. In the second place there has been an almost endless trouble in settling the precise manner in which the suits were to be carried on: because there were numerous old wills to con- sult, pedigrees to examine, marriage-settlements to rake up, certificates of birth te fied, and registers of buriad to ferret out, before it cond be established whe ought to be the exact claimanta” “ Bat I thought that the suits ware sumewed, after a temporary suspension, by yemr mpuetiver on behalf of yourself and your brother Raymend, when you were beth boys?” said Loré Flosienel ieqpsiringly. “ Your surmise is substantially esrrest, my dear friend,” retarsed Lord Mentgowmery. ® The pro- cess was orighvally esupmenced hy my father thirty years avo, whick was fuss about the time of my birth, Ay brouser Raymond was born eight years later——” “ What! is he only twenty-sme at this moment ?” enéiaimed Flerimel. * 3 thoughs be was at least a couple of yours older: but then my acquaintance wicte hiws io ve: y sligit.” “ Well, as : was oberviag,” eoatiaued Lord Montgomery, hastily resuming the thread of his ' parratsve, and at pamsing to actice Florimeys re. asarks,—“the su hed lasted eight years when my wrotber Ragneend was born ; and al:nost at the same tine mpfasher Givd, Then i. wusdiscovered that by sous t: adthomary peivilege or pouuliarity of entail, ‘tue daim to the Warwicksh ine escates had become vested ia Regmead; while avy own elains, although the ebder sen, segarded only tee Priory with its aenesed property. Scarcely dbf the lawyers ferret eas Crone facts from the depths of mouldy do- cuments and musty pedigrees, when it suddenly transpired that tho Aylmer family had likewise some vague and indistinct claims upon a portion of tho Warwickshire property; and thus the whole affair presented a curious but not the less bewilder- ing imbruglio.”’ “ Aad all this time the Marquis ef Bellendes was in possesnios ami eujeginemt.of the whole property —wae he not & ingaired Plorhnel. “ Precisely so,” unswered Meatgomery : “and as be was 20 amorous old fcllew ef sixty-two, wy me- ther hie upen a method of setdiag the law disputes amicably and to the satisfaction of al} parties con- cerned, She had an orphan niece dwelling with her—a beautiful girl named Laura; and she ne- gotiaced a marriage between ils levely ercature and the sexagenarian Marquis of Beilenden. The alliance took place; and the ducainents were drawa up te the ef@fuet that, in defaalt of male issae, all the dispated estates should become the property of | our family at the death of the Marquis, — the Aylmers consenting te receive a sum of ready money as an jadwoement to waive all thew claims, But, behold! the Marquis died suddenly, before the deeds were signed ; and confusion became worse confounded. The widowed Marchioness—my beau ecomilcooolks