The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 124: what you’re looking at

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

THE MYNS“BIES OF LiKE COG&T. lll © geen ar Or? GED Cam, “Tam all atéccaldn,” = the Marquis. “ rocsed, sir.” “You know that the death of the Duke of sickport has left.a vacancy in the Order of the Garter,” continued the Prinoe: “and I was think- iog that perhaps you would like to have it.” “ My dear Prince,” exclaimed the sexagenarian enbleman, bounding from his seat and snatching hoid of the Regent's hand, “this is indeed kind— niost kind on your part! It is the height of my subition—-save and excepting the dakedom whiah you have promised me whenever our views relative to her Royal Highness the Princess of Wales shall have been carried out. But in the meantime the Garter—yesa, the Garter is the very thing ” ejacu- iated the old nobleman, as pleased at the prospect of possessing the trampery banble as a child on veing pronised a new toy. - “Well, my dear Leveson,” said the Prinoe, in- wardly chuckling at the triumphant sucocss of his @ratagem to propitiate the Marquis beforehand, “zou shall have the Garter—that is a bargain. i will speak tv Ministers about it t-morrow. You have always voted with them—you have been a ateunsh friend tw their policy—and no vaice has beer: raised louder or oftener than your's in the ‘Upper House, in favour of Church and State. ‘They cannot therafore quarrel with the choice I have made for the vacant Garter. If they do, I'll fied a pretext to dismiss them all at once—damn them, 7 willl” ejaculated the Prince Regent, with the emphasis which he was wont to bestow upon an vath. “ Again do I thank you most sincerely, sir,” re- Jotned the Marquis of Leveson: then, resuming bis seat, he said, “ And now what about our charm- lng Venetia? Itis your day for eommencing the siege—and I suppose your wr Highness has been with the mysterious ange “I had not quite finished 1 ‘observations rela, tive to the affair of the Garter—or 1 should aT: relative to something connected therewith,” tinued the Prince, dexterously evading an imme. diate reply to Lord Leveson’s query respecting Venetia. “I was about to remark that inasmuch as the Garter is a boon which, when bestowed upon you, will excite the envy and jeslousy of all ether claimants, I shall have to encounter no smal! degree of odium with those persons. I therefore think that, in doing all thie for you, Leveson, I have a right to solicit a favour in return. Ip feet, you am do me a service—a great service—if you will.” “ Then most assuredly I shall have infinite plea- aure in doing it,” was the prompt reply of the -Marquis of Leveson. “Name it, sir—name it——”" “But will yon faithfully promise?” demanded the Pringe. “ Fuithfally—solernoly,” returned the nobleman, perfectly convineed in his own mind that his royal friend was about to stipulate for a sum of money im recompense for the beatowal of the vacaut Garter. “ Well—we will talk mure on the subject pre- sently,” said the Prince Regent. “Let as now speak of Mise Trelawney.” “ Aye—let us speak as soon as you like, sir, of Miss Trejawney,” oried the Marquis, rubbing his handa with a sort of nervons glee; for he euter- tained no dowht but that the Prince had succeeded in makiog a conquest in that quarter—a conquest | by which he himself hoped to profit, according to agreement, “Ihave jast come from Acacia Cottage,” re sumed the Prinoe, “where [ passed an hour. Ve- neua is certainly very beautiful—very beautifal. Her charms have not been exaggerated. Ia fact, ig would be impossible to exaggerate them ——” “Ahem!” said the Marquis, beginning to sit somewhat uneasily on his chair, “Your Royal Highness appears to have been a trifle smitten ” “No man oan gaze upon Venetia Trelawney with utter impunity, Leveson,” returned the Re- gent. “ We had a long conversation together, of course: and I must candidly confess that I suc- ceeded, after some trouble, in inducing her to listen to my proposals, The cunning puss! she has her litle ambition ——” “ Aye—and you pandered to it, sir?” exclaimed the Marquis, nervously and anxiously. “She could not havé had a better tactician to deal with. Bat pray tell me all ” “1 will—bonourably and faithfully, according to promise,” said the Prince. “{ knew you would, sir—I knew you would * exclaimed the nobleman, rubbing his hands with a revival of cheering hope as he beheld this appa- rently straightforward dispesition on the part of the Prince to realize his portion of the compact. “Well,” said his Royal Highness, “after a great deal of conversation we came to an understanding —and Venetia assented ts my overtures. Iu plain terms, she agreed to become my mistress.” “ Capital !—exoellent !” cried Leveson, bounding upon his chair, snd grinoing like an ancient goat. “ Well, sir, what next? Iam on the tenter-hooks of expectation. Have you made some appoint. meot with her?” “{ have. To-morrow evening, at nine o'clock,” continued the Prince, “I am to send a plain car- riage to Hyde lark corner, where she will be muf- Hed up in veil and cloak ——” “And thea you will order your coachman to bring her to my house—eh, ine" cried the Mar- quis. “Is that your plan—that your object?” he demanded, with all the petalanee of acute s “To be sure, if you wish it,” returne ‘the Prince: then, ina hurried manner, he observed, “But by the bye, I forgot to name the little favour l require at your hands, in reward for the vacant Garter, the investiture of which sbell take place early next week.” “Obl name the service you require, sir,” ex- claimed the Marquis: “{ am all anxiety to con- tinue the discourse relative to my charming Vene- tia—the ) angel who shall and mast be mine after a)]| ——* “It is precisely with reference to Venetia that I propose to ask you a favour,” said the Re,ent, taking a pinch of his own artiétically confectioned mixture from a gold snuff-box set with brilliants. “Your Royal Highness surely does not mean te fly from your bargain?” exslaimed Leveson, con- templating the Regent with all the agonies of a tor- turing sus e “Have [ conducted myself like a man who in- tends basely and dishonourably to violate his en- gagement?” demanded the Prince. “Ihave de- scribed td you with exactitade all that took place between Miss Venetia Trelawnry and myseif— er COMME OG CO