The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 199: what you’re looking at

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

190 as the Duke was residing at an hotel, and was not likely to remain very long absen{ from his own dominions, it was perhaps only a temporary ocou- pation about to be offered him, and one which would still enable him to occupy his lodgings beneath the same roof with the lovely Isabella. _ While making these reflections, Christian arrived at Mivart’s Hotel,—at the door of which a waiter lounging with a white napkin in his hand, looking up the street as if in contemplation of some beautiful prospect, although there was in reality nothing to be seen except what must have been familiar enough to the man’s view. But no one ever did observe an hotel waiter standing at the street-door, who was not thus staring fixedly in one particular direction. “T have been directed,” seid Christian to the waiter, “‘to attend at this hour upon the Duke of Maxe-Stolburg-Quotha.” “Very good, sir,” was the man’s response, as he slowly desisted from gazing up the atrest. ‘Please to follow me, and I will take you te Baron Raggidbak.” Christian for a moment thoaght that the waiter was putting off upon him an insolent jest: but as the man spoke with an air of perfect seriousness, and at the same time began to lead the way up the staircase, our hero followed, though etill mar- velling at the extraordinary title of the nobleman to whom he was about to be presented. They ascended to the first landing,—where the waiter, opening a door, ushered Christian inte « sort of ante-chamber, in which a tall, thin, hungry-looking man—moustached and bearded—dressed very much in the style of the Chevalier Gumbinnen, end whose appearance combined an equal amount of tawdriness and shabbiness—was lounging in an arm-chair by the fre, reading a German news paper, very dirty and very much erumpled. “This js Baron Raggidbak, hie Boyal Highness’s Groom of the Stole,” ssid the waiter in an under- tone to Christian: and then the man withdrew. Our hero advanced with a respectful salutation towards the high functionary who was seated by the fire; and the high fuanctionary, laying down the newspaper, surveyed Christian in a sort of supercilious manner, as if determined to see what he was made of ere introducing him to his dacal master. At length he condescended to apeek ; and in so doing, displayed at least one advantage over the Chevalier Gumbinnen. “You sall be de yong mans what de Lord Chamberlain did come for to go after dis after- noon P”’ was the question which Baron Raggidbak Our hero bowed, and said, “ Yes, my lord.” “‘Vare goot!” said the Baron, eomplacently caressing his bearded chin, and now looking far more favourably upon our hero, as if that respect- ful appellation of “my lord” had considerably sweetened the temper of the Groom. of tke Stole. “ You vare quick wid de penP you vare clever wid Oe rin’ and de epellin’ in de Inglis langvidge— e wd “I have a testimonial to exhibit, my lord,” " answered Christian, “which I think will be satis- factory.” “Vare goot |” said the Baron, still caressing his chin with one hand, and playing with a copper.gilt watoh cobain with the other: “den you sall sucpe THE MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. wit his Royal Highness! Ah! dis is de Chevalier Kadger! De Chevaler is de—how you call him ?-—-de querry to his Royal Highness; and de Chevalier sall go for te introduce you.” The Chevalier Kadger, who entered the ante. room at the moment, wore a sort of military uniform, of dark green cloth, tolerably threadbare, - with tarnished gold lace, and red stripes down the looking man, with dark wiry hair brushed straight off from his forehead, and a very fierce moustache. He said something in German to the Baroh Raggidbak, at which they both chuckled in what Christian fancied to be a somewhat vulgar manner. The Chevalier Kadger then planted himself close in front of our hero, contemplating him slowly from head to foot. Christian underwent this inspection with exemplary patiencs, inasmuch ab he thought it one of the preliminaries te the sucoceafal attainment of his object. But as he stood with his eyes modestly bent down, he be: came aware of a certain di | odour floating around him, and which seemed to be compounded of stale tobacco-emoke, garlic, and rum. At fret he fancied he must certainly be mistaken, es sach an igacbie effinence could scarcely have ite sourve in the person of so distinguished a character as the Ohevalier Kadger, Equerry-in-waiting to a reign: ing Deke. But when there was no longer € possibility of resisting his own convictions, and when his olfactory organs proved beyond all mistake that it was veritably and traly thd Ceevalicr’s person which was thus redolent of gariia, rum, and bad cigars (the laat-mentioned being evidently full-fiavoured Cubas) Christian was certainly astonished. However, he was now on the point of being condacted into the presened of the Duke; and he thought to himself that he should find in this distinguished Prihoe a very great contrast with tho appearance of those personages of his suite whom he had &8 yet seen. : The Ohevalier Kadger preceded Christian with his person, and likewise with the ordows that hung about him. He paused for a moment in an adja- cent room to speak to a dirty, Hedy-lookitig, un- kempt man, who was taking out plate from a bor, and who, as our heto Subsequently learnt, was Baron Farthéniees, the Privy Purse. They on to another room, where Christian beheld a tall personage—sotmewhat stout, under forty years of age, coarse-featured, and valgar-looking —dréseed in some strange sort of military uniform, with « star upon his breast. The uniform had evidently seen good service; and if it had pertained to an English nobleman, would long since have found its way into the hands of his valet, and thence to some old clothes’ shop it Holywell Street. As for the star, it was certainly an ingenious combination of pieces of different-coloured giass set int pitted metal,—looking very much like a “theatrical pro- perty ;” and its value might have been about three and sixpence. This personage was lounging hear a window, in econversation with the Chevalier Gumbinnen and three or four other worthies, whose appearance was of corresponding seedinees and tawdririess. The effect produced by this grou was perhaps more novel than satisfactory ; Christian thought to himself that if this were thé Dake, he wae « strange-looking man for a reigning COMMUC DOO CS (COL