The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 298: what you’re looking at

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

THE MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. by a groom on this occasion, for some reason which it is not worth while to describe. I¢ was by aocci- dent, and with no settled purpose in view, that Sir Frederick Latham rode in the direction of Brixton Hiil,—where, as it will be reeollected, Madame Angelique’s villa was situated. But let us leave Sir Frederick for a few minutes, while we look into the interiar of that villa. Madame Angelique was seated at dessert: but her countenance bore the evidences of a certain inward trouble or uneasiness. It was clear that the milliner, on retiring from had not found the mental tranquillity which she had hoped to experience in the seclusion of her beautiful villa. Presently there was a knock at the door; and Mr. Shadbolt was announced by the pretty perlour-maid, whose face expressed mingled arger and disgust; for she detested this visitor, and he had just taken the liberty of tapping: he? cheek in the hall. Mr. Shadbolt—as was now usual with him—bad been dining luxuriantly, and :it seemed as if the viands of which he had partaken, had been washed down with a considerable amount of generous wine. Indeed it was in a state of ssmi- ebristy that he was thus mtroduced into Madame Angelique’s presence. i“ Weill, what news P” he inquired, taking & seat, and at once. filling a wind-glass for himeeif. “It is singular that I have not men the Duke,” wplied Madame Angelique, rather in a musing tone to herself, than exactly addressing her visi- tor “What Duke? Your friend Marehmont of whom you #0 constantly epeak P” he inquired. “Yos. I forgot I had not seen you singe. he called yesterdsy. It was immediately after you left. a9 - Well, I can tell you,” rejoined Shadbolt, “ that | the Duke is lying in a desperate state at his house ia Belgrave Square.” -“ Ah!” ejaculated Madame Angelique: and then she muttered to herself, “ No alesse na wonder !” ‘I suppose you know,” continued Shedbolt,| | “that his brother Lord Clandox suddenly turned up yesterday and was arrested?” «i “Yes, I know it all,’ answered Medame ‘An gelique. “I read the paragraph that was in this: morning’e peper ; and the evening one,” she added, glancing towards the Globe, which lay upon the sofa, *‘ contains a longer account of what yesterday took place at Bow Street. It seems that the very Mr. Coleman concerning whom you had been frightening me so-———"” ‘‘'Yes—the arrest took place at his office,” said Shadbolt, speaking with his mouth full ef cake; “and the Duke himeeclf was in the place at the time. There was a Hindoo woman too——” “I know it,” interrupted Madame Angelique curtly. “When the Duke called upon me after you left the villa yesterday, I told him all you had been saying to me———” “ Welland wnat then P” asked Shadbolt with @ momen “ Why, to speak plainly, > vesponded the Wrench- woman, “the Duke was not much inclined to be- lieve that Ooleman was aman who would accept a bribe of two hundred guineas to desist from pro- secuting me. However, he said he would go and ses Mr, Coleman on my behalf; and, as i) must ed ‘1 olaimed Shadbolé, . 287 have happened, the Duke’s brother was there at the very same moment. So the Inspector said in the account of the capture which he gave to the magistrate, and which is in the newspaper.” “But the Duke did not come back to you— eh f”’ absorved Mr. Shadbolt. “Well, all I ean tell you is that if you hadn’t given me that little dou. céur of two hundred guineas to slip into Cole- man's hapd 7 “T hope it is all right, and that you have not keen ,deceiving me?f” said Madame Angelique, loolsing -vexy, hard at Mr, Shadbolt. ‘$E deogve:.youP” he exclaimed.. ‘ What— honest Ike Shadbolt deceive his dear, apd intimate fziemd, :the amiable and excellent Madama Ango- liqua?;- NotI indeed! Logk.at me. Do I seem & man.capahie of playing such a dirty trick P” . “I hepe not,” responded the Franckhwoman ; “andl hope likewise that everything js now safo in that quarter ?” : ‘The rpader will heve.nadaubt comprehanded th at the. po gy Sbadholt hed: been playjng a trick by working on Madame Angalique’s feary, in order to obtain the money of which, beatood in need: for his extrayagancea were ynliawted, nd he had taken to gambling, . -: ‘! You eee, my dear friend,” he eontinued, refilling his glass, anit helping. himeel{ go -qnqther alice. of cake, “all: thoas lawyer fellows gre open tq bribes; and a Colemen knoys a9 mych,abous yop, we shall have to fee him occasionally. But what think you of letting me- make an gttempt in some ather quar- ter, as a monna of raising the.wind?”’ “No, never!” ejaquiated Madame Angelique firmly. “That business of the Lathamg was ee for me. I never was s0 frightened in my ” “Weil, wall,” said Shadbolt, “just as you please. I must take ayeelf ef now: I just dropped in to inquire after your precious health, and tell you how nigely, and cpmfortably I had settled that little affeix with Oolenan.” “Rut what of tha Duke of Marchmont?” said me Angelique. © How did you learn ——” ' of Dhat.le wae in go degperate a condition ?” ex- ‘Why, everybody at the West Kod ie talking: of it, It seems that he took on ao shout kis brather, he went home in a state border- ing on frensy, and was seized with delirium. That ie all know. Ah! by the bye, there is something elee I just now heerd at the West End. The very Hindoo woman we were talking of-—”’ “ What of her?” demanded Madame Angelique eagerly. “She is dead,” replied Shadbolt. “Dead!” ejaculated the milliner. “Yes, dead. Ah! by the bye,” repeated Shad- bolt, “I regollect you once asked me something about that Lady Indora with whom the Hindoo woman lived—-—” 7 re Yeu—and you told me at the time that sho was instigating Coleman to prosecute me.” “Did IP Weill, I dare say it was so,” observed Shadbolt carelessly: for though sufficiently sharp, he had not a memory strong enough always to re- tain the recollection of the numerous perversions of truth or actual falsehoods to which he was prone. “But about this Hindoo woman — this Sa- goonah P” said Madame Angelique. “T eould not exactly learn the rights of it,” ro- (CO G OOO SS} (CO