The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 79: what you’re looking at

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

68 THR MYETERIES OF THE COURT very day that the duel took place, that a tall man, of gentlemanly appearance, and well though plainly dressed—that is to say, his apparel was genteel and of goud materials, but without pretension— passed slowly along Mortimer Street ; and observing a card in a window, announcing a first floor to let ready furnished, he knocked at the door On ove of the servants answering it, he re- quested to look at the rooms; and he was|i in the first instance shown into Mrs. Macau- lay’s parlour, while that respectable “tidied herself up a bit”-—to uses her own phrase. Having washed her face and hands, slipped on her silk gown and her cap with pink ribands, Mrs. Macaulay entered the parlour, with a simpering mien and a half-curteey. She prided herself upon being an excellent physiognomist : for she always scrutinized well every applicant for her lodgings—so that she might calculate the chances of being paid her rent, or of. having her tenants decamp suddenly some fine day. Asa matter of course such disagreeable incidents these had been within the luded, she studied him with all the keenness of her perception, yet without appearing to do so. As we have said, he was of tall stature: we may add that he was of commanding aspect. His hair, which was of an iron gray, was worn much away from above the forehead, and was thin upon the crown. His whiskers, which were large, were | i a shade darker—yet quite gray at the roots. Handsome he might be considered, so far as the profile was concerned: but he had a cold stern look that was almost saturnine, and which the behulder. His complexion appeared to made up of sallowness bronzed with the As for his age, it was by no fix it: he might be fifty—he mi ay: jE, eth git ae E: ipeel til! could not exactly make up her mind as to ane Lked his appearance or not. He of a gentleman: but then that cold lwok of his troubled and bewildered her. was not the Polish Count with an awful pame, and who turned out to be no Count at bust only a wild Irish adventurer, and who had run away five pounds in her debt,—was not he a very gentlemanly man? while, on the other hand, did she not decline to receive as a lodger an elderly person, merely on account of his haughtily stern look—and had mot this very individual lived for the last ten yeare with Mrs. Sifkin over the way, paying his rent as regularly as clock-work, and never venturing 8 bint that his tea and sugar dis- appeared rapidly, or that somehow or another Hi crFEEE; something was always wanted though a store of it had been laid in only a day or two back? There- fore, it was no wonder if worthy Mrs. Macaulay was puzzied how to act in the present instance, to view the apartments without further delay or discourse. “I will show you the rooms, sir,” continued Mrs. Macaulay: and as she led the way up the stairs, che muttered to herself, “ Heavens! there's “Very good, sir—just as you think fit!” ex- claimed Mre. Macaulay. “ You will find mine es very quiet house; and I need not say,” she added, drawing herself up, “that it is of first-rate re- spectability. When shoald you like to come is, Pp? “ A word or two first, if you please,” responded. the stranger. “Iam somewhat of_an invalid, and seek quiet apartments. Have you any other lodgers in the house ?”’ “The floor above is let, sir—but to the nicest, quietest young people that you could wish to see.” “ Have they children 7’ asked the stranger. “They are brother and sister, sir,” rejoined Mrs. Macaulay,—“ quite young folks, end highly re- spectable: for they have never once missed paying their rent since they have been here—which is up- wards of six months. They go up and down stairs as quiet as mice——” “ And you have no other lodgers P” “None, sir. If you take these rooms, my lodg- ings will all be occupied. I only let out these two floors.”’ “Then I will take the ” gaid the gentleman ; “and I shall come hither at once. My trunk is at an hotel hard by: I will go end send it——” “ Perhaps, sir,” interposed Mre. Macaulay, as the stranger was advancing to the door—and she spake in a mild tone of subdued deprecation, ss mach as to imply that he must not take offence at COMMUC DOO CS (COL