The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 119: what you’re looking at

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

106 Marriage Act to the winds and prociaim Mrs. Fitzherbert his wife and his Queen. In such a case, would it be of no avail to us that the honour of the lady exists in our keeping? Bat, ander aly circumstances, when we have obtained as much &s we can get from the Prince, we shall then deasiiad more through the influence and agency of Mrs. F itzherbert.” “You are right, Tim,” said the Atiison: © we will secure the possession of the Marquis of Bulivis’ papers. And now, when are we to renew var hegv« tiations with Joseph Warren, thé Magsman ?” “You and I will pay that worthy a visit this very evening, my beauty,” answered Meagles, “ Only fancy what a glorious thing KR would be for as if we should succeed in obtaining te other half of the certificate, and if, when put together, the entire document proved that the present King was really married to Hannah Lightfoot! Why—not only would the honour of the Sovereign be com- pletely in our hastds—bat likewise the validity of his alliance with tWe Queen and the legitimacy of all his children.” “ To be sure!” ejaculated We Buatros. “iui I am afraid, from certain | fragmentary though they be-olie the tnolety of the document whieh we no® pesstuh, ik be Yen mar riage ever took plaeé.” - ‘The whole tetow of tha we can it,” wall SPeagtve, “ adwaite 6 two interpresations,—ewe for, and the other a belief in push @ Martens. fA fe #o decide between them watil we van petise the down ment asa wholé; add this evening we wit endea- vour to lay a train for the purchase of Whe fagtuent in old Lightfoot’s poesession,” added Tim: for the old man’s death was unknown to him ead tke Amazon. “ J dare say we shall succeed,” observed the iat- ter, rising from her seat. “We shall work with more energy now that it is for ourselves, than we did when the Prince commissioned you to negotiate privately in his behalf. But it is now mid-day, Tim— and the weather is clearing up. I must hasten home—change my Amazonian garb for a silk gown, gipsy-bonnet, and warm furs—and ap- pear in a dress which, as the common phraso goes, is suitable to my sez,” she added, laughing. “ And pray whom are you bent upon captivating to-day ?” demanded Tim, bestowing upon the splen- afd treatore » Cafess Which she received fn a mat- her indicating Vhat, however profligate she miphe be, wnd howevet lavish of her favours shé noto- Honsly was, the nevertheless entertained something Eke a Mivere affection for Meagies. “ 8o far from having any such idea as you fmpnte to me, Tim,” sire said, in answer to the question which he had jocularly put to her, “I mesn to play the amiablv towards off Bir Jobn, and take him ont for an atring in the delighted that Yothing I way ask will be refosed ; artd Y shall pave the way to obtain the few thou. bands that you and I are likely to regaire for onr Purposes in the wourse of the week. Adieu Yor the present, my @eat Tim: 1 stall cafl Yor you at about Geht this eventrty—and we will then proveed to. Pewter to Wie clawsic region of down.” ® A&eo, my tharmer® retarned M press. Wie Me Hips Vo Bite rth ted mouth ; afl the Aniazon wo fet on | “upatart and the bold looks of a courtezan! . could it all mean? Mr. Hodson knew not: he wae . He wilt be so | wtood took her departure from the lodgings of her para- mour. We cannot close this chapter without directing the attention of the reader to the fact that Mr. Meagtes hai tMulntained towards Lady Letitia Lade the eae weutery and silence relative to the orphan Rese whieh he had observed on the preceding evening with the Prince of Wales. CHAPTER XXX, WR. PAGE AND HIS WIFS We now go badk to Mr. Page and his wife, whom we sfiall find preeseding arm-in-arm from the Borough towards eld London Bridge. The comrwercial traveller, flattering himself that he was aman worth six thousand pounds in ready money and possessing papers calculated to produce ag menh again, walked with his head erect and an air of s@@A assurance that one would have thought the entire mretrepelis belonged to him. In this respect he was well netthed by Julia, who, fancying that her gaudy bontet and her faunting shawl were sufficient to rendet hee “ane the Sadty,” marched along with an assumption of vulgar which made her seem ae if she Ramoied the street was wot half wide enough Gerher. The Hethe Boys etared at the singular-look- > nded people euperienced & sen- timent of fet thdte vanity~—and when the poor shivering touched their hats ar curtsied, as the case of axk might be, Page held bis head up higher etl; for it atrack him that be wee all of a sudden very much respested. Tn thie mannet veered straight to Wood Street, where they entered the warehouse of Mestre. Hodson and Morley. The seniot partwet Rappewed to be there at the teerment, supssintending the unpacking of some bales of goods whick had just arrived; and, on hearing the door open,he raised his eyes and beheld the com- mercial traveller with a bold-lovking woman hanging to his arm. Mr. Hodson was astonished; and, putting on his spectacles, he indulged in another long stare at the newly-married couple. Yes—it was really Page,— Page with his hat cocked jauntiJy on one side of his head, and with suche smirking familiarity expressed alike in his countenance and manner, that the sedate merchant knew not whether to consider him drunk or demented. But how different from the Mr. Page Who used to take off his beaver thé instant he crossed the threshold, and who was wont to glide noiselessly throngh the warehouse direct into the private offies a 3¥ he were treading upon eggs! And then that Woman, too—with the flaunting dress of a bewilderéd—and, tarning towards the porter who gazing open-mouthed upon the pair, he said ip & hollow Tong," Ask Mr Morley to step This way.” "I ho don’t intrude, Hodson,” exclaimed ‘Page, his chin and speaking in a sort of blandly tone: “ but I thought that as I Wis in the neighbourhood I might just as well drop in to ask you how you got on, and likewise to tall ya, my boy, to look out for another country-tra- ¥ I’ve cut the thing dead, Dfye hear, Hed- ‘son ¥” ELOOO COMM co