The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 63: what you’re looking at

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

50 THE MYSTERIRS OF THE COURT. out,—the déar was again opened, and the footman | “the Bankrupt Lord :* the wealthiest of his econ- announced Lord Octavian Meredith. panions cut him direct—the poorest looked coldly This was 2 young nobleman barely twenty-two | upon him. His situation became intolerable: he years of age—exoeedingly handsome—and of ele- | wrote to his father to beseech that he might be gant appesrance. He was not much above the | allowed to choose some other profession than that average height: but his slenderness of shape and | of the Church: the Marquis was obstinate in his perfect symmetry of figure made him look taller | refusal—and Lord Octavian ieft the University in than he really was. His hair, curling naturally, | humiliation and disgust. and worn somewhat profusely—was brown, but by | His father refused to see him for some time; no meeus of the darkest shade: his whiskers and | and at last when he consented, he upbraided the a slight moustache added to the manliness of an! young man 20 bitterly and treated him with eo otherwise youthful countenance. His features were much harshness that Octavian’s home became as in the Grecian style; his eyes, of dark blue, had | intolerable as his situatién was at Oxford. Ina all the clearnees and brightness proper for the re- | few months’ time he attained his twenty-first year ; flection of a soul naturally frank, candid, and gene- | and he then requested his father to make him a rous. His manners were those of the polished ; fixed allowance. The penurious old Marquis sternly gentleman,—with the slightest possible tincture of refused: his tyranny increased towards Octavian— a dissipated languor—but without a real affecta- | who, it must in justice be said, did all he possibly tion. His voice was singularly pleasing—ite tones | could go merit a renewal of the paternal confidence. rich and harmonious; and his conversation, which | His mother had long been dead: otherwise he might be intellectual enough when he thought fit | would have found a kind and considerate mediatrix to render it so, received additional attractions from | in her. In short, it became impossible for him to that melody of the voice. He was the youngest of | tarry beneath his father’s roof; and‘ through the the three sons of the Marquis of Penshurst. The intervention of a distant relative, who happened Marquis himself was very rich, but excessively | to have some influence with the Marquis, Octavian mean and parsimonious. The estates were strictly procured an allowance of five hundred a year. entailed upon his eldest son: the second son, ' Before he left home, he besought the Marquis to though only six-and-twenty years of age, was 2 use his interest to get him a commission in the Lieutenant Colonel in the Army: Octavian, the Army, or to launch him into the aphere of Diplo- youngest of the three, and of whom we are specially | macy: but the old nobleman could not forget thas speaking, had been intended for the Church: but his original plans on behalf of his youngest son for reasons which we will proceed to explain, he had been thwarted by his withdrawal from the . had renounced all thought of entering holy orders University ;—and faithfal to his churlish nature, he —nor had he indeed any professicn at all. . | positively refused to do anything more for him. Lord Octavian Meredith was naturally a well- | Octavian accordingly quitted the paternal home, principled young man, with a high sense of honour, ' and took lodgings. He was but little past his and endowed with every ennubling sentiment as majority; and his experiences of life were hitherto well as intellectual quality calculated to make him bitter enough. His spirit had been chafed—his shine in the world. But he had been sent to Col- | feelings wounded—his hopes disappointed: he had lege with a limited income; and yet, as the son of | the will, and he felt that he had the intelli a Marquis, and himself bearing a patrician title, | to enter upon some career in which he might dis- he was expected to keep up a certain appearance. | tinguish himself and carve out his own fortunes: All young men have their pride in these respects; | but the opportunity had been denied him. This and this pride frequently over-rules their better , was indeed a bad Leginning for a young man just feelings. Parents should be particularly cautious | entering upon the world,—sufficient to demoralize to guard against the possibility of their children’s | him completely—render him indifferent to the good principles being assailed through the weak good principles which had hitherto for the most point of their pride: for no point is more vul-| part guided him—and prepare the way for his nerable. Octavian found himself at College with- | eventual ruin. Octavian did not entirely escape out adequate means to keep up a becoming the ill effects of those i i oes. appearance. He got into debt; and his sense of | On taking ings; he was Jaunched as it were honour prompted him to meet his engagements | upon the town; and his companions were men in according to the punctuahty that was promised. | his own sphere of life. He became a favourite He wrote to his father, frankly and candidly ex- | with : his obliging disposition, his polished plaining his position. The Marquis, instead of | manners, and‘ his nataral intelli rendered treating his son with a kind consideration, sent his : him a desirable at their tables; while his lawyer to Oxford to offer a composition to the ' own limited means compelled him to accept all creditors. The tradesmen remonstrated : the lawyer . these hospitalities as the only condition on which shrugged his shoulders, and told them they might he could obtain any society at all. He was-in- do as they liked, but that they had better take | troduced to the Duke of Marchmont,—who, from what he offered than stand the chance of getting _ the way in which he was situated with his wife, nothing at all—for that the Marquis of Penshurst was fond of giving bachelor dinner-parties and of was determined not to suffer his son, while a being surrounded with a number of gay, lively minor, to be fleeced by thoss who recklessly gave young men, as the reader might have gathered him credit. The tradesmen ‘sacospted the com- from certain remarks made by Mr. Armytage. position; and they were given to understand that Thrown into the midst of this society, Octavian no farther debts contracted by Lord Octavian, gradually found himself being drawn deeper and would be thuseettled. Octavian was relieved from deeper into the vortex of dissipation. He kept sis embarrasaments: but his position was ruined out of debt: but he could not avoid keeping lave at the University. He otained the uick-name of hours and joining in the pleasures which his con»- rn a a ea eg td i COMMUC DOO CS (COL