The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 117: what you’re looking at

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164 “Well—I will do so new, my charmer,” returned Meagies; “and the narrative will afferd you a little farther insight with respect to the character of our friend George It will moreover prove that we are fally justified in obtaining possession of papers for the purpose of overswing him, inasmuch as he has not hesitated to adopt the same course with a view to coerce his own father.” “ What! to menace and threaten the King!” ex- “Nothing more nor less,” Meagies, “Listen. It was a httle more than fifteen years ago, that the Prince—then only eighteen—was one evening ing by himeelf down Whitehall, when he espied by the lamp-light a beantiful young woman who appeared to be surveying the buildings in that neighbourhood as if she were looking for some particular house or Government Office. He ac- costed her, and soon got into conversation with the eaarming stranger. She told him thatahe had come trom Aylesbury on important business, and was anxious to obtain an interview with the Home Secre- tary as soon as possible. The Prince assured her chat it was too late to procure an audience of that functionary ; and she y agreed to accompany him whithersoever he c to take ner. I scarcely tell you that they passed the night together; and so pleased was the stripling George with his new acquaintance that he was by no means desirous for the amour to terminate there. He accordingly made her certain proposals—oflering to maintain her as his mistreas, and revealing who he was. The young woman was overjoyed at having captivated the Prince; and, in the fullness of her delight, she told him the object of her journey to London. In fact, this was none other than Mrs. Warren, the wife of the fellow who is now known as the M “TI remember well that when I first knew Warren fourteen or fifteen years since,” said Lady Letitia, “he told me and Rann how he had come up to Lon- don to look for his wife; and he also acquainted us at the same time with the object of her journey. Therefore, when I met Warren again six or seven months ago, one of the first questions I put to him was whether he had ever succeeded in finding his wifé; and, after replying in the negative, he observed i¢ was vexatious that the one half of the certificate bad disappeared with her, because soccident had thrown him in the way of the late Hannah Lightfoot’s brother, in whose possession the other half existed. I subsequently mentioned this fact to you, Tim—if vou remember: and then you told me for the first time that you had seen in the hands of the Prince the fragment which Mrs. Warren had originally brought with her to London.” “TI recollect,” said Meagies: “ and it was fortunate that the Magsman had told you where he might be found in case his services were ever needed.” “Not particularly fortunate either,” retarned the Armazon: “fr when you sod I vised Light, according to a previous arrangement with Warren, the crabbed old fellow would not vo mush as show ue| Md his half of the document—-much less part with it on any consideration.” “ He fancied he should get more by treating with the principal,” observed Meagies. “But now that we have resolved to renew the and on our own account too, we will be more liberal in our sdfers than the means of the Prince pe rmitted us to be six or seven months ago. You can obtain three . oe FS SP ee quem » or four thousand pounds from Sir John—ecan't you, my beauty f° “Leave me to manage shat, Tim,” replied the Amazon. “ And now finish your story about Mra Warren.” **Qb!l I had completely lost sight of that,” ax- claimed Meagles. “Well—I was saying that the Prince made proposals to Mrs. Warren, and that she acquainted him with the object of her joamey to London. He induced her to give up the fragment of the certificate to him; and he provided splendidly for her: bat I never could learn from him what be- eame of her, nor how long their connexion lasted. All I know is that she certainly did not go back to her husband; and peDaps she was very giad to be separated from a fellow who, to judge by his present appearance and manners, was likely enough to have “ But poor Rann made him useful during the few months that their acquaintance lasted; and afterwards I totally lost sight of the fellow until I met him last July.” “To return to what we were talking about,” re- sumed Meagles, “ Proust inform you thst the Prince need | had the moat selfish motives in possession of the fragment of the certificate signed by his father, instead of letting the Home Secretary buy it up. For George the Third had already experienced good reason to complain of his eldest son's extravagances; and the Prince thought that it would be as well to hold in his hand the means of coercing his father at pleasure. Accordingly, more‘ than once has he threatened His Majesty to enclose the paper to the Queen, unless his were : and as the King stands in awful dread of his royal wife, the pradish and snuff-taking Charlotte, this menace has usually had te desired effect. But the next time that the Prince contemplates using the mys- terious fragment, he will search for it in vain,” added Meagles, with a laugh of satisfaction. “In fact, I have succeeded in getting the King—the Prince— and Mrs. Fitzherbert completely into my power.” “ Mra. Fitsherbert !° exclaimed Lady Letitia. “I do not see how she is precisely in your power, Tim. It is true that you have ascertained the real nature of her connexion with the Prince: but perhaps she would thank you for prociainung it, rather than feel hereelf aggrieved.” “Ah! this ie another secret of mine, you harum- scarum good-for-nothing,” said Meaglea, with a sly look. “But I do not intend to make any mystery of it towards you, Letitia,” he added almost imme- diately,—“ now that we have determined to pall together in the same boat. The fact is that the influx of these foreign refugees has proved of some service ; for on the one hand it has thrown upon our shores s Marquis of Saint Croix to lend a good round sum to the Prince of Wales—and on the othes hand it has segt amongst us a Marquis of Bellois to gre certain curious information to Mr. Timothy Whet do you mean f” inquired the Amasos, animated with the most lively curiosity. “I mean that eight years ago Mrs. Fitsherbert visited France,” replied Meagles; “and that at Pomblers she beoame acquainted with a noblemen of handsome appearance and elegant manners: I mean also that she fell deeply in love with him, and that she accompanied hint to Paris, where in GORMGOOOKXS co