The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 35: what you’re looking at

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—_oo ee ee _ 23 THE MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. hind the scenes. Well, you see, ma am, these cir- cumstances | have been mentioning—and otherg ‘that are known to the Commissioners—have made the matter serious enough. Your enemies are too powerful—and they will break “up your establish- ment for you, if you don’t break it up for yourself. You say you are pretty warm: why not retire at once? Go to France.” Madame Angelique looked bewildered; ang in the confusion of ber thoughts she was Jed to con- fess that on account of certain incidents with regard tw the decoying of young women from France, Belgium, and some of the German States, it would be very. inconvenient, or even perilous, for her to set foot on the Continent at all. “Well then, remain in Bagland,” ¢gjaculated Mr. Shadbolt. “Now I will show you how the matter stands. There is to be a prosecution, if my report shows that there is evidence ta support it. Of course the Commigsionera think that J] come here only as a spy, gud not to give you any private advice. They imagine that whatever I told them after my fires visit bere, was oply gleaned in the course of conyersation—and not on account of auy private understanding betwixt you and me. They believe they can rely upon m¢: and so they have sent me here again on this pre- sent occasion. Now, ] need not make my report for a day or two—J can pretend that I had other bnsiness—or that I could not obtain admission. To-morrow therefore you can dismiss the girls——”’ “And give up the establishment!” added | Madauw Angelique, in @ decided fone: for her | mind was now relieved in more weye than one, and she was enabled to breathe more freely than she bad done for some time past. “Why break up the millinery pert of the estab- lishment ?” inquired Shadbolt. “ I did nof mean that.” “ The millinery branch,” responded the French- woman, “is nothing in comparieon with the other. Though I have plenty of custom, yet what with long credit, and some of the highest families never thinking of paying at all—what with the expenses Besides, Mr. Shadbolt,” added the milliner, in a tone of confidence, ‘ half my lady-customers would leave me the moment this hoyse ceased to be one of accommodation. So it is decided !|—] give up everything, and I retire 0n my means. As for the girls, [ know where to place them at once Ani,” added the Frenchwoman to herself, “I can turn & last penny by each of them.” “Well then, retire!” exclaimed Mr. Shadbolt; “and when you are out of business, I will show you how to make more money than ever you have done while in it.” “You?” ejaculated Madame Angelique. “Yea, I—even I, honest Ike Shadbolt! Buf no matter now; you shall know all when the time comes. Go and settle down in some comfortable place—some pretty little villa on the outekirjs— and make yourself as happy as the day is long. J sball come back here in the course of the week, and shall then report to the Commissioners that the establishment is broken up—that the girls are all gonp—and that the tailor next door has bricked up the means of communication between the two houses. So there will be an end of prosecutions and all other unpleasantness. And now, my dear madam, if you think all this advice of mine, apd all the 2 good JT am going to do you, is worth any- “ Oh, to to be sure,” ejaculated Madame Angeliqys, who, though she comprehended all the selfishness of Sbadbolt’s, disposition, wag nevertheless but too glad to secure his good offices. A liberal gratuity was therefore placed in his hand: and he took his departure,—the French- woman not thinking it necessary to allow him to retrace hia way through the galoon, but ringing the bell for the liveried footman to show him out by the front door of her own house. About ten minutes afterwards the Duke of Marchmont was announced. ean ea CHARTER LXXXVH. FHE MILLINER AND THE DYKES. Tam Dake, whose countenance wag pale and care- worn, end who by his looke had evidently suffered much of late, endeavoured to put on the smile of gra- cious effability as he entered the luxurious apart- ment where Medame Angelique was seated. It 0o- curred to him that she bowed somewhat mare dis- tantly than wag her woot—or at least with an air of greater independance, if not ectually commingled with coldness. ¢ threw himeelf upon » seat— glanced at her for e moment, aa if to assure himself whether there were really any studied change in her manner—and then he said, “ Well, myable friend, assistant, and accomplice, have you thought of any fresh project ——" “JT have just decided, my lord,” responded Ae- dame Angelique, “upon a most serious and im- porfant one.” * Indeed !’ ejsculated the Duke eagerly. “ And it is this that gives you such an air of mingled gravity and confidence? I¢ is one, therefore, that will rid you—og perhaps J] mey say us—for ever from ell fear of vindictive persecution at the hands of Indora ?” “Ino longer fear her persecutions, yy lord,” rejoined the Franchwoman; and her tone waa now uumistakeably cold, while her manner was stiff. “T do not understand you!” exclaimed the Duke, not knowing what to think. ‘Has any- thing happened to Indora? has anything been done? Have you iz your astutaness devised some- thing better than the aid of Sagoonah’s dagger oF a reptile from the Zoological Gardens 2?” “ Heaven be thanked,” cried the Franqhwoman, ‘‘that neither the steel blade nor the serpent did the work of death! My conscience is at least not burthened with that orime.”’ “Then what do you mean?” asked the noble- man, naw completely bewildered, and alarmed likewise by whatsoever appeared strangely sinister in the otherwise incomprehensible look, tone, and manner of Madame Angelique. “ What ig this project on which you have decided ?”’ “To break up my eatablishment sltogether— retire into a pleasant little villa—and live in com- fort for the rest of my days, apart from all in- trigues and the perils thereof.” The Duke of Marchmont was astounded. As the reader is aware, he was in mortal dread of the a a en Goin G OOO SS} (CO