The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 195: what you’re looking at

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

182 charge against his wife, or of even alluding to Lady Lechmere’s ambiguous note without admitting that he had. searched the writing-desk in Editha’s ab- sence. Moreover, he had now hopes of winning Gertrude to nis interests; and as she was evidently in the confidence of her mistress, it was important to glean from her lips those secrets of which she had a knowledge. Such were the reflections which swept all ina moment through the mind of the Earl, as he lin- gered upon the stairs after Gertrude had flitted away so abruptly: and no longer yearning to precipitate matters with Editha, he once more retraced his steps to the parlour. Ringing the bell, he ordered the servant who an- ewered the summons, to inquire whether Editha was coming down to supper: and the response was to the effect that the Countess had supped at Lady Lechmere’s, but would join his lordship in a few minutes. The nobleman thercfore sate down to the repast ; and his wife presently made her appearance, laugh- ing and in the best possible humour. “My dear Charlies,” she said, tapping him play- fully upon the cheek as she passed behind him to take a chair, “ you must have thought it very strange —very rude—and very unkind in me to hasten away so abruptly when you spoke to me in the hall as I came from the carriage: but I was labouring under a cruel misconception at the time. In fact, I heard it whispered at Lady Lechmere’s, about nine o'clock, that you had just been seen at the Hay- market Theatre in company with a female of noto- rious profligacy. You may therefore conceive how annoyed Iwas. But I have just learnt that you have been at home all the evening—and there- fore the accusation must have arisen in sheer wicked- ness or downright error.” “Bat who could possibly have told you such a thing f” demanded the Earl, with mingled astonish- “Now Iam not going to get you into a quarrel with any one,” replied E.ditha, in the*softest tone and the most caressing manner. * Besides, it was an elderly lady whom I overheard mentioning the circumstance to another antiquated gossip; and it was not intended for my ears. So you must ask me nothing more upon the subject. Suffice it to say that the imputation was a calamny.” “But if Thad foand Leveson at home and had remained to pass the evening with him,” said Lord Curzon, “you would have believed the tale and fancied that I was really at the Haymarket with a bad woman?” “The affair would certainly have looked sus- picious,” observed Editha: “ but it only proves that we should never be hasty in judging from appear- ances.” “True f exclaimed the Earl; struck by the ob- servation: then, after a few minutes’ pause, during which he drank a giass of wine, he said, “It is a pity that husbands and wives ever keep any secrets from each other: the habit breeds distrust—and distrust embitiers their existence.” “ Are you going to turn over a new leaf?” in- quired the Countess, laughing gaily, “Your whole manner, conduct, and language to-day in- duce me to think so,” “Bat if I have my secrets from you, Editha,” said the Earl, attentively watching her counte- THER MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. nance as he spoke, “have you none which you keep from me” “None, that may properly be called secrets,” she replied, apparently with the utmost sincerity : and therefore the reader will perceive that she was as thorough a proficient in the arts of hypocrisy as we have already described her. ' “I am giad of it, my love,” exclaimed the Earl, completely staggered by the candour of her response and the ingenuousness of her looks: and again he reflected upon her observation relative to the imprudence of judging rashly by appear- ances. CHAPTER LIII. THE CHANDLER'S SHOP. Murron Hrit is a small section of that large and loathsome neighbourhood which lies immediately behind the Sessions House on Clerkenwell Green. At the period of which we are writing, as well as at the present day, it consisted principally of second-hand furniture warehouses, old-clothes’ emporiums, and shops devoted to the sale of sweet stuff, chandlery, shell-fish, coals and potatoes, and cheap crockery. The chandler’s shop requires especial attention. {t was small, dingy in outward appearance, and gleomy-looking internally. Over the door was painted, in little white letters on a black ground, the name of Wituiam Taacarrr; and ander this name, in smaller letters still, were the words, Licensed Dealer in Tea, Coffee, Tobacco, and Sauff- The door, which was haif-glazed, usually stood open as long es it was light: bat when evening be- gan to draw in, it was closed—a tinkling bell being suspended above to give notice of the entrance of acustomer. On a shelf, or ledge, which ran along the middle of the window, appeared an array of small glasses containing brandy-balls, peppermint- stioks, bull’s-cyes, hard-bake, acid drops, barley. sugar, candy, horehound, lollipops, and other sweets of the same school of confectionery. On the board in the lower part of the window, appeared bundles of fire-wood, Flanders’ bricks, red her- rings, a basket of eggs, a huge piece of Cheshire cheese, three or four ditto Glo’ster, some bottles of blacking, five or six bars of yellow soap, a few loaves of bread, a pieoe of bacon, a bladder of hog’s lard, a box of “real hayvannahs” made of cabbage leaves, some jars of pickles, and a small box of starch. Suspended tq, the wood-work of the windows, and dangling amidst the necessaries and luxuries just enumerated, were divers bunches of candles—sixes, eights, middling tens, and far. thing rushlights. On the shelves behind the counter were a few canisters of tea and coffee—some jars of snuff and tobacco—and a miscellaneous assortment of tinder- boxes, tapes, laces, balls of cotton and worsted, papers of pins and needles, brushes, balls of twine, and “rounds * of matches with sharp yellow points looking like tlre beaks of callow birds—* lucifers * not being invented in those times. The counter itself was furnished with drawers containing sugars of divers descriptions; and above it, to a horizontal beam, hung a farther supply of candles, forming a thick fringe of tallow. At one end of the counter COMME OG Reo