The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 147: what you’re looking at

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rennet er ss ce ep aS se cS a fe Sed? THE MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. 188: if addreased to me. And then, too, it is absolutely necessary for my purpose that there should exist no possible clue-——Abh, I recollect, [have an un- sophisticated, unsuspicious, docile, and obedient young man in my service. Let me see ?—this is Wednesday. Well, on Tuesday evening next, at nine o'clock, this young man shall be in a cab at the door ; and you must have the dresses delivered to him in a box by one of your most confidential women.” “ They are all confidential, my lord.” responded Madame Angelique; “or else I should not have been able to sustain my establishment unsuspected as I have done for so many years 2” “ Well, let this be the.arrangement, then,” re- sumed Marchmont. “At the hour and on the evening just agreed to, the name of Christian Ashton will be sent in to you; and you will know what it means. But mind; de is not to know what the dresses are.” “ Decidedly not, my lord,” exclaimed the milli- ner. “ Your Grace's commands shal! be followed in every respect. Has your Grace any further instructions ?” ‘‘ Yes—there is one thing more,” proceeded the Duke. “Yoru will have to spare Lettioe Rodney for ashort time. I need her services. Do you consent? You know very well that you will be paid handsomely for all that you do to serve me.” “ Your Grace can command in my house as well as if it were your own,” responded Madame Angelique. * d,” said Marchmont. “ Then I will make my own arrangements with Lettice. You convinced that she is perfectly trustworthy—that she is one to whom may be confided a task of no ordinary importance? Remember, she will be well paid, aa you yourself will be-———” | “T can rely upon her,” exclaimed Madame Angelique. “Has she not been with me since she was fifteen ?—does she not regard me as her own mother ?—have I not done everything for er?” ‘To be sure, to be sure !” ejaculated the Duke. “ But I have often wondered what the deuce you do with the girls when they begin to fade away and are wearing out.” ‘““T give them money and send them abroad,” answered the milliner. “ Ah, your Grace little thinks how many I have supplied to a house in Paris. Change of air soon brings them round a it; and they goon well for a few years in rance, until st length they get down into the streets and end by dying in the hospitals. But what else can they expect ?” ‘* What else indeed ?” said the Duke: and with this heartless assent to the vile woman's observa- tion, he rose from his seat. “ By the bye, my lord,” orled Madame An- gelique, beckoning his Grace towards her with an air of misterious confidence, “I have found out such an extraordinary thing. Oneof my spies— and your Grace knows that I always bave several upon the look-out-——” “ Well, what is it?” asked the Duke. “Some- thing new in the female line ?” “Something new indeed, my lord—if it is possible to get hoid of them by any sort of in- veigling———” “ Them f" cried the Dake. “You speak of more than one.” Sa yeast poe Aatenngpsworesresmes——> a er Seeger =p «=.= _ “TI speak of two, my lord,” answered Madame Angelique. “It is just this:—‘Io a certain suburb of London there lives an Eastern lady of the most ravishing beauty; and she hes in her household a Hindoo woman as grandly hand- some as herself, though of a different style. I have seen them both. They ride out occa- sionally in a carriage in their own neighbour- hood: though for the most part they live quietly and nnostentatiously—and what on earth thoy are doing in England, I cannot tell. The worst of it is, there are English servants in the ests- blishment———" “ The best of it, you mean!” ejaculated the Duke; “because you can easily bribe those English servants to your purposes.” ‘“T fear not, my lord. My confidential agent,” continued Madame Angelique, “who first told me of these rare Oriental exotics, endeavoured to sound the steward or butler, or whatever he is; and he met with such a cold reception that it would not do to attempt anything farther through those means. Not that I despair of getting these Orientals by some means or another into my power; only of course I should run a great risk——” ‘Which is as much as to give me to under- stand,” interrupted Marchmont, with a smile, “that the reward must be commensurate. Well, my dear Madame Angelique, do not speak a syllable upon this subject to any others of your patrons: but prosecute your inquiries — prepare your plans—spread your neta—and wait till I return from Oaklands. You know that I can be liberal———” “ Your Grace's commands in this respect, as in all others, shall be paramount with me.” “ Ah, by the bye,” ssid the Duke, “I had better give you a trifle on account of the affair of the dresses. How much have you there?” he asked, as he tossed a handful of bank-notes into the mil- liner’s lap. “ 'T’'wo hundred pounds exactly, my lord,” was the response. ‘'My best gratitude——” ‘Ob, never mind the gratitude,” cried March- mont. ‘And now good night. I am going to pass a few hours with the young ladies: I have ordered champagne and other refreshments——” ‘‘ Splendid forced fruit from Covent Garden to- day, my lord,” eaid Madame Angelique. “ Melons —pine-apples—grapes——" “Well, send upall you have got. And now I hope you will amuse yourself with our worthy friend Bertin, who is discretion personified. I am sure if it were not for you two, [ don’t know what gentlemen and ladies having pretty little intrigues to carry on, could possibly do.” “ Well, my lord, I do flatter myself that neigh- bour Bertin and I carry on the business with a discretion that is unparalleled. But then,” con- tinued the milliner, ‘so long as we have such ex- cellent patrons as your Grace, we are rewarded for our trouble and anxiety.” The Duke smiled at the thought of Madame Angelique’s anxiety as he glanced at the well- spread table; and nodding her a familiar good night, he quitted the room. Returning to the luxuriously furnished apartment where he had left the four young ladies, he found a table » with all kinds of wine, fruits, and other light re- freshments. Nothing could be more sensuously (COL (C DOO CS (COL