The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 143: what you’re looking at

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

130 THE MYSTERIES OF THE COUBT. mansion in Albermarle Street; and upon mention- ing his name, he was at once shown into an elegant breakfast- parlour where the nobleman was sipping his chocolate. The Marquis was in no particularly good humour after the adventure of the preceding evening,—that adventure which had terminated in affording Ve- netia Trelawney so complete a triumph over him : but the appearance of Mr, Sampson suddenly cheered him somewhat—for he was instantaneously struck with a presentiment that the astute Bow Street officer had succeeded in the delicate enter prise entrusted to him. “Well, what news, Mr. Sampson? inquired the Marquis, hastily. “Good, my lord,” was the answer. “I have discovered the authors of the outrage.” “Then upon my soul you are indeed deserving of the reputation which you have gained!” crie the Marquis. “But sit down and tell me all about it.” “ Would your lordship like to hear the course I ; adopted to ferret out this matter?” asked Larry, as he took a chair: “or shall I come to the point ao ee an I eS = EE er —w= = ay —_— —— a ee ee —_ 2 A AE Le al ° at once ?” “J am anxious to learn how you proceeded— very anxious,” said the Marquis: “ because if I had taken such a thing in hand, I shonld not have known how on earth to take even the initiative step—much less carry the affair to a successfal issue.” “ J can assure your lordship,” said Larry, “ that I have not only met with some singular adventures in following out this business, but have encoun- tered such a danger that it is next to a miracle I should be here alive to tell your lordship all that d. ‘*Then do tell me, Mr. Sampson,” exclaimed the nobleman, settling himself comfurtably upon the sofa where he was half reclining. ‘I am just ina humour to require something exciting to cheer and interest me—something to divert my mind ——But of that no matter,” he observed, suddenly checking himself as he was about to give utterance to the thoughts which were retrospecting to his adventure of the preceding evening with Miss Trelawney. “ And now go on: I am all attention.” “Well, my lord,” began Larry Sampson, “I must remind your lordship that it was last Tues- day morning you sent for me and told me of the outrage which had been perpetrated on his Royal Highness and yourself the night before. I must also beg your lordship to recollect that the par- ticulars you gave me relative to the ex adventure of his Royal Highness with the lady, were meagre enough——~” ‘* Because the Prince had only described the apartment very minutely to me, without giving me an equally detailed description of the lady herself whom he saw therein,” exclaimed the nobleman. “Nevertheless,” he added, “I was enabled to tell you, from the little the Prince did explain to me upon this point, that she was extremely beautiful —with light brown hair—dark eyes—and a fine shape. But now go on—and I will endeavour to interrupt you as little as possible.” “From the manner in which the outrage was perpetrated and the ample preparations evidently made for its execution on that particular night,” resumed Larry Sampson, “I felt convinced that it was a put up affair. This means, my lord, that the desperadoes must have received some positive information beforehand to the effect that the Prince was to yisit Mrs, Owen’s house that night: and there- fore I came to the very natural conclusion that some one in that lady’s establishment was in league with the rascals. So, after I left your lordship last Tuesday morning, I went and disguised my- self as a knife-grinder—blacked my face in such a way that my own mother, if alive, could not possi- bly have recognised me—and made myself up, as it were, in such capital style that no disguise out of the many I have at times assumed was ever more complete. I got a regular knife-grinding machine, with tinkering apparatus to boot: and knowing that knife-grinders must be jacks of all trades atid metid keys, locks, and umbrellas, I made all necessary preparations. In fact, as I can mend a key about as well as I can talk Chinese or He- brew—which is, not at all—I filled a drawer in the rattle-trap machine with keys of all sorts, sizes, and descriptions. Thus provided at all points, I took my way to Richmond, determined to insinuate myself somehow or another into conversation with Mrs. Owen's servants. For there’s no pretence so good as that of an itinerant knife-grinder to go round to the back doors of houses and draw the domes- tics into a chat—that is to say, in country places. It would not do in London, where there are scarcely any back doors, or where the servants answer one from the areas: but in the country it is quite otherwise. Well, my lord, it was on Tuesday evening that I entered Richmond disguised as a knife-grinder, and wheeling the moveable shop be- fore me. I adopted the usual slang of the class— spoke wretched English—and played my part, I myself, to perfection. I succeeded even better than I had expected: for when I got oppo- site Mrs. Owen’s mansion, who should come out but her livery-servant. He and I immediately got into conversation; and I saw in a moment by something in the fellow's looks that he was a pre- cious rascal.” ‘What! John—AMrs. Owen's footman?” ex- claimed the Marquis. ‘“‘ Well, upon my soul, Mr. Sampson, I should not have thought it !” ‘““T dare say not, my lord,” observed the Bow Street officer, in his quiet way. ‘Your lordship is not accustomed to look so keenly and so closely at people as Iam. There’s no mask a man puts on that I can’t see through. But the evil opinion I formed of John the footman the instant I set eyes upon him was speedily confirmed by what he said———”’ “* And he is the scoundrel who is in league with the ruffians, then?” exclaimed the Marquis. “Your lordship shall know all about it in a mo- ment,” said . Well, continue after your own fashion,” ob- served the nobleman. “TI will endeavour not to interrupt you any more:”"—and he again settled himself quietly upon the sofa. The footman, my lord,” continued Larry Samp- son, “speedily engaged me in a conversation which showed me what he was, but which I need not de- tail to your lordship, because it refers to some other matter that I must still keep a sharp eye upon. Ina word, I became convinced that John was in league with the authors of the outrage per- petrated towards the Prince Regent and your ElLOOO