The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 78: what you’re looking at

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

=~ -—__--— - - THE MYSTRHIES OF THE COURT, ; : ’ Lato PLM ey eS ee i ’ = = 2 Al eo |! MF MM, q : iy : tf ; ; Wy hg : ") +1] | | oki : - | a! Ne \, : Hi } - ” ' ; ij - ' i bk . iW : | ~ ; ’ ] [ 1] 1) | : | | ie ! hal | Ju ! ale et Mt WA TH 1 Hi Wi ai iy the onerous duties of the day were over, Mrs. Macaulay sported her silk gown, her cap with pink ribandsa, her gold watch and chain—and seated herself in her neat little ground-floor parlour, ready to receive any of her neighbours who might chance to drop in for a chat. Though parsimonious even to meanness—-beat- ing down her drudges of servants to the lowest possible amount of wages—she was an honest Woman in her way, and made as little free with her lodgers’ tea and sugar, butter, and other comestibles, as the most conscicntious of her class. Neither did she altogether pos- sess a bad heart, though it was steeled with many defences against accessibility with rogard to Money-matters She would not mind sitting up all night long to nurse a sick lodger: but she would not at all like to hear the lodger, when rent- day came round, make an excuse for non-payment. Her landlord came to her regularly for his rent; | No. 9.—Fourta SExizs. a eet ae apcre~wp nr if » |e - é : bY f SS — _— — = - - _— ,.* - ~ and she therefore must have her’s. The tax gatherers were equally exact in their periodical visits; and she was compelled, as she alleged, to require a corresponding punctuality on the part of her tenants. Such was Mrs. Macaulay—a woman with whom lodgers were certain to remain on the best possible terms so long as their weekly bills were settled with regularity. The ground-floor, consisting of two rooms, was occupied by herself,—the front being her parlour, the back her bed-chamber. The first floor was very handsomely furnished, and was sure to be ‘well let,” as Mrs. Macaulay termed it, in the season—perhaps to a Member of Parliament, whose regular residence was in the country. The second floor was far more plainly appointed, but still com- fortable enough ; and above were the chambers of the sorvants—with a spare one in case the first. floor lodger should have a servant of his own. It was about ten o'clock in the forenoon on the % eee an DOO