The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 19: what you’re looking at

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

| table, when he 4 “EE MYSTERIES. shat Chere was acon bora. This child—aeccording to | turned towards the fire, which he poked vigorously the same vague authority—was secretly the heuse of the late Sir William and Ledy Stamford and adopted by them, her ladyship’s own infant happening to die at the period. All this I heard at Aylesbury—but of course I don’t pretend in any way te veuck for it.” “I should think net, indeed!” exclaimed a gentile- the apartment at the instant, but nperceived by the commercial travellers, had caught the latter portion of Mr. Page’s observations. remark | stature—the same well- img :—and in his gait end gestures there was an easy deganee combined with a nobility of air which be- bis face would have however been somewhat marred Sy its roundness, the gracefulness of the oval being destroyed by the fatness of the cheeks,—had dot the high and open forehead redeemed the fault. His amr was oi that uncertain colour which appears of 4 dark chesnut in some lights, and suburn in others; end it was naturally curled and wavy. His age esemmned to be a few years over thirty; and his attire was neat, good, but unpretending. Such was the individual who made the above-men- Gened remark as he entered the commercial-room at the George and Blue Boar; and taking off his hat, cloak, and warm gloves, he seated himself at a Aimest immediately afterwards the waiter made fis appearance with a steaming tumbler of rum- punch, which the gentleman had ordered as he passed bar. But from the first instant that the stranger had met theeyes of Mr. Page, this worthy individual had ect ceased to ctare at him. It was not however with the effensive gaze of impertinent curiosity ; nor was tt the rude survey of coarse vulgarity :—but it was the fixed contemplation of one who is suddenly struck ey a resemblance, and. who fancies he knows the ob- qect of his scrutiny, yet on the other hand feels almost sertain that he must be mistaken. At this juncture the other two commercial traved- Jere, rose and retired; and Mr. Page was left alone with the stranger. CHAPTER II. TRB PLIONT AND THE PURSUIT. straager,” had not noticed the searching earnest- ness of gaze with which the bag-man regarded him: indeed, no sooner had he taken his seat at the appeared to fall into a profoand ceverie,—as if totally forgetting the observation he had made on entering—the words which hadelicited It—and the presence of any one else in the room. removed to | then he took a few sips of whiskey-and-water, and courfortable. tried to make himeelf Bat there was a more peinfal; and in a few minutes he found that he was again staring at the gentleman more intentl: than at first. rr Penitble that T can be mistaken, thought commercial traveller the bewildered , fidgetting in his chair; “and yet it is equally impossible that I can be right. He would never come into a public roons in this manner—particularly so soon after the event Nevertheless, the likeness likeness is striking! The same hair—the same high and open forehead—the same form! Upon my soul it is very puzzling,—and very, very dm- Having reached this point in his reflections, he : | rang the bell violently and ordered his glass to be begged submissively to know “whether the last tumbler was to Mr. Page's liking!” The reply was given in the affirmative; and the fanctionary de- parted with his feelings considerably relieved by the assurance—for he had begun to fancy that some thing best customers. On his return with the hot toddy, the waiter found Mr, Page gazing with painfal earnestness upor! the strange gentleman, who, still unconscious of the attention which his presence thus excited, was now listlessly sipping his ram-punch and looking up ins vacant manner at a picture of a sea-fight suspended between the “John,” said the commercial traveller, in a low and scarcely audible tone, as he mysteriously beckoned the waiter close up to him ;—then, casting a fartive glance towards the stranger, he demanded laconically, “ Who is that gentleman f” “I really don’t know, sir,” was the reply, also delivered in a whisper. had occurred to annoy one of his master’ “ But mester seemed to re- eognise him when he ordered his rum-puneh at the bayr.”’ “Then go anf ask your master who he is, John,” responded Mr. Page. The waiter glided out of the room with the quick and noficless step peculiar to his fraternity; and the commereia) gaveller said to himself, as he stirred his whishey-toddy, “ Now I shall have all my doubts cleared up—or my suspicions confirmed.” But Mr. Page was doomed to experience dissp- pomtment, and to be plunged back into the bewil- derment from which he sought to emancipate him- self: for the waiter returned, with a solemn counte- nance; and while affecting to be busily engaged in poking the fire,—as the stranger was now looking is thas direction,—be said in a low and mysterious whisper, “Please, sir, master told me to mind Wa should observe that hitherto the gentleman | my own business and not ask impertinent ques- whem we are still compelled to denominate “the | tions.” “Then it mast be as I thought!” aurmared Mr. Page; and he mechanically turned round to take another survey of the object of his attention, when he encountered the steady and almost haughty gaze of that gentleman's fall blue eyes. The commercial traveller quafled beneath the look, in which there |! was something so confident, proud, and self-suffi- Mr. Page, feeling that his survey of the stranger : cient that all the man's doubts again sprung up in would be deemed an impertinence, if remarked, | his miod, and with renewed force: for he thoaght | co lin SLOO) YN SS d@