The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 74: what you’re looking at

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

But when about a quarter of an bear had elapsed, Wim Mesgles suddenly raised bie eyes, looked around him and then listened. All was still; and then the next instant the Amazon @clear merry, mosical laugh ringing from the bath-room, met Mesples ears A cloud swept over his counte- bance: for Thm Meagles, although he bad long been on terms of the nrost tender intimacy with her was for a moment annoyed at himveelf for having purposely brought ber to Carlton House on the preeent occasion with the view of throwing her into 1be a: ms of the Prince. Bur this feehig of jealousy was ‘as evanescent | as, under the clroumetances, it was absurd; and it oa — o- Wa- instantaneoucly succeeded by a lively satis- faction, as he thought te himeelf, ‘‘ She has played her cards admirabiy—and she will succeed in en- gioesing the Princes attention during the balf- heor that I enjoined her to be sure and keep him @yaged |” Thua rejoicing in the success of a pre-arranged stratuzem, Tim Meagles advanced to the rvyal couch. and teok from beneath the pillow a long, thin gold chain te which a key of very peculiar woikmanship was attached. He then approached the writing-desk to which we have already alluded; and having carefully opened it, be proceeded to examine several small packets of papers, which were tied round with pink Yiband. and bore endorsements indicative of the Various matters to which they respectively referred. But while thus occupied, he more than once cast an avxivus look towarda the door of the batb- yoom :—his apprehensions were not bowever veri- fied by any sudden interruption on the part of the Prince. His search tn the two compartments of the desk lasied for upwarda of ten minute-, there being numerous packets of papers, which be examined one after the other until nearly the whole were thus disposed of— and still he bad not jighted on the particular parcel which he sought. He now begun to fear that it might not be in the desk at all:—and yet he knew fail well that the Prince kept every document of an important or private nature there. But, as it frequently heppens in such cases, the very Jast packet which Tim Meagles drew from the deck bore the endorsement that he had hitherto eo vainly sought; and having secured this liecle parcel about his pereon, he re-arranged all the ovhere-—lecked the desk-- and restored the key to its place of concealment under the piliow of che evuch. Fur a few moments a sunile of triumph played wpon the lips of Tim Meagles: but it almost im- medéetely: yiznided to that ca’m, free-and-eary, and indupewdert, expreselon which was the natural chacectusistic of his. features Drawing a lerge arm-obair close to: the fire, he deposited bimeelf indolkauy in the lammelous seat, and lighted a cigur:: la w.few minutes the door of. the bath-room oprued, and Lady Letitia came-forth, followed by ' the Frince, Nut a-blush appeared upon ‘her cheek . «pot the slightest embarrassment merked her menper, aa she emerged from the bathing-room : but Meaglee turned an arch look upon the Prince, ' exclaiming, “ Well, are you displeased with me for baving. brought our Amazonian friend this morpving ?” “ Hold yout tongue, Tim,” oried the lady, laugh- 53 ing. “Ab! I thonght I smelt the delightful davour of the weed. cigar, while the Prince dresses himslf — and then for breakfast. I already feel ag hongry as a hunter.” “Or a huntress = which?” obeerved Mea- gles. “ Both,” replied Lady Letitia, throwing bereelf upon a chair opposite to ber homorous friend: then, taking an elegant ivory case from the pocket of her frock-coat, she drew forth a little Spanish cigarette, which she lighted by the aid of Meagles’ full-flavoured Havannah. “And so you smoke, Letitia—do you?” asked the Prince. “Your Royal Highness sees thac I can manage a cigarette,” responded the huntzess,—“ but barely a cigar. And as for tobacco -[ mean as it is one in a pipe——pah !—the idea makea me ‘Not sick,” interjected Meagies; “but only as if you would spoil your beautiful teeth It's all vanity on your pst, my beauty !|—and if it wasn't for the teeth you'd be smoking the strongest Cavendish. | know |” The buntress laughed, and then gave Tim a tap on the cheek, which compliment he returned by means of a somewhat hard smack upon the lady's back; whereupon she dealt him so ecund a box on the eare that all the blood in his body seemed in a moment to rise into his checks and stegnate there. But the next instant he burst out laughing, and the Prince as well as the Amazon. herself shared in the merriment. A quarter of an hour was thua whiled away by means of smoking. jesting. and chattering; and in the interval the Prince of Wales bad made such improvemente in bis toilette that he now appeared in an elegant deshabillée. Germain shortly after- wards entered the room, bearing a large silver tray containing the breakfast-things ;— and al- though he observed Lady Letitia and instantly recognised her, he nevertheless affected to take no more notice of her presence than if she were a phantom visible only to the Prince and Mea- gles. For Germain was avery discreet French- man: otherwise he would not have long held the pret of valet intime, or rather “ confiden- tial gentleman,” about the person of the Princes of Wales. An elegant breakfast was now served up. and to which both Ledy Letitia and Tim Meagles did ample justice; but George bad indulged over- night too liberally in cura¢oa-punch to be able to eat with any degrees of appetite in thé morn- in g. “You don’t seem to be peckish, my dear Prince,” obeerved Meagies as he committed a second and. very despetate assault upom sa cold partridgs pie. * You made the punch too. strong last night, Tim,” anewered. his Royal Highness, ‘Not a bit of it!” cried Meagien ‘By the bye, my dear Prince,” he continued, turning to- wards his Royal Highness, “I missed you from @ quarter to six to nearly half-past ten last evening: * And you are very likely to miss me for the same period thie evening, Mr. Moagles," inter- rupted the Prince, suddenly assuming 8 tone that had just sufficient haughtiness in i to serve as @ a eee at et el CONNEC OOO ‘SS I will keep you company with a. CO