The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 303: what you’re looking at

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

— a a ga a ee 293 THR MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. say that you oan cut him altogether, being engaged| “I did not like to offend old Musters by taking us you are to his lordship’s sister——” them back, so I put them into the fire.” “ Now pray don’t preach a sermon,” interrupted| ‘“ The only place they were fit for,” observed Saxondale, affecting an air of fatigue. “If you} Marlow. “Well, we have still yet five hundred wish me to bear one, I will go with you and attend to account for——”’ Dr. Dronewell at 8t. George's, Hanover Square,} ‘Oh! that was for interest, bonus, and so on,” and if ke don’t send us all to sleep, may I be/| exclaimed Saxondale; “and I don’t think it was hanged if I know who will.” out of the way.” “Well, about these debts then,” cried Marlow,| “In plain terms, this Musters has charged you tossing his head and pursing up his mouth, as much | a thousand pounds, sséneus twenty for the wine, for as to imply that there was notiing to be done with | the loan of three thousand for about eight or nine such a being as Edmund. “I see here one Mus-| months. Now, we see here,” continued Marlow, ters, represented as holding promissory notes for | referring to the list of debts, “items for a carriage four thousand pounds. Pray how much have you | and horses—an immense bill at a wine-merchant’s— received in hard cash out of this ?” plate and jewellery at a goldsmith’s—and a tearfyl “Oh! I had the value safe enough,” replied Saxon- | account at a milliner’s. What are all these ?” dale; “and I don’t want any compromise made; “For the lady who introduced me to Musters,” with him, because he was recommended to me by a | answered Saxondale. young lady of my acquaintance, and it wouldn’t look | “ She took care to be well rewarded for her well if it came to her ears that it was a mere / trouble, at all events. But how happens it that dividend affair, and not a regular settlement. She |in less than one year you have run up a tailor’s would cut me dead if she thought it was a fifteen- | bill for thirteen hundred pounds? That would give shilling-in-the-pound business.” . you a hundred and thirty suite of clothes at ten “And pray who is this exceedingly fastidious | pounds each.” lady ?” “Ah! but it isn’t all for clothes,” responded “Ah! that’s tellings,” responded Saxondale. Saxondale: “ there’s about seven hundred of it for “ A mistreas, I presume?” cried Marlow. “That | cash lent.” is the way to devour your substance. Look atthose| ‘Oh! then I suppose this six hundred pounds at tin-boxes. Half of them contain the title-deeds of} a cigar-shop in the Quadrant, is not at-all for noblemen’s estates, or else bonds and so|cigars? If 90, one would think must have forth; and Pil be bound to say that Woman was at | kept a whole regiment in tobacco for the last six the bottom of all the extravagances of which they | months. Come, how much of this is Money bor- are the proofs. But come, Lord Saxondale, you | rowed?” must give us tho explanations we require; or we} “ About two-thirds,” repued Edmund. “ But will put our negative upon the settlement altogether. | hav’n’t you pretty nearly got explanations enough ?” I ask you therefore, how much money in hard cash | “No—not quite. What are we to unders*and by did yeu receive from this Musters for the four thou- | this memorandum which states you te be answer- sand pounds of promissory nutes that he holds? | able fora friend to the amount of three thousand Do be candid; for we shall find it all out.” to Israel Isaacs of Chancery Lane?’ “Well then, I had three thousand po ” ve-| “Oh! that the Sheriff's Officer, you know——”" plied Saxondale. “We know very well who he is: but who is the “Three thousand in hard cash. And what else?” | friend for whom you are answerable P” “ A hundred pounds in wine-warrants,” “Why, Staunton, to be sure. Afid now for * What have you done with them ?” | heaven's eake have done, or I shall never get away.” “The wine was so bad it wasn’t drinkable; and| “Stop, stop: don’t be ina hurry! This business so I sold the warrants for twenty pounds.” is more serious than any other you can have in To whom did you sell them ?” hand. There is such a host of tradesmen in the “To old Musters himeeif.” list that it would seem as if all the expenses of “Ah! that’s just what I thought,” ejaculated | Saxondale House fell upon your shoulders; and Marlow. “The wine never went out of the Docks | many of them too are her ladyship’s tradesmen. I at all, I suppose?” recognize their names. How can you owe them “Never. He produced a bottle as a sample; but | money like this?” the first glass was enough.” “Well, if you must know, Lord Petersfield and “He's a very honest man to sell you things at | you have kept me so uncommon short that I have one moment for a hundred pounds, and buy them | been obliged to run in here and there and borrow an back the next for twenty. But what else did you ! occasional cool hundred, or eo, wherever it was get from him ?” handiest.” | “ Four hundred pounds in Debentures of the; “Then, I should say that almost every shop- Carribbee Island Gold-Mining and Pearl-Diving keeptr m Regent Street, and Bond Street, and in ‘ Association.” | Piccadilly, have been found handy by your lordship “And what did you do with them ?” “ Old Musters told me that they were capita: secu- | ‘“Uncommonly handy,” returned Saxondale. “But rities, almost at a premium; and so I went to a have you done now Ff” stock-broker and asked him to buy them, Idon’t| “I think, Mr. Malton,” ead Marlow, appeaing know much about these things—and I was rather to his partner, “that we need not enter much astonished when he told me they were not worth deeper into these affairs P” at times ?” eighten-pence apiece.” | “The list is indeed much worse than we antici- “What did you do with them?” demanded Mr. pated,” observed Mr. Malton: “but for this once I Marlow. | SUPpose it must be settled.” : GON GoOO SS