The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 60: what you’re looking at

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

HE MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. 47 were seen under the lappels of her coat: she wore a staud-up shirt collar, and had a shaw! necker- chief tied with a care that Beau Brummel ntight have envied. She had on black pantaloons; and possessing a remarkable straightness and evident symmetry of limbs, that portion of her masculine garb became heradmirably. Patent-leather boots, the brilliant gloss of which even now sbone brightly through the dust that was upon them, set off her long narrow feet to great advantage ; and the clinking spurs gave her a sort of semi- military appearance. Her hair which was of raven blackness, appeared when she took off her hat to be combed back from the high and open forehead, and though not worn very long, fell in rich and natural waves over her ears and to the lower edge of the collar of the coat, so that in fact it was not longer than the hair of many fashionable youths at the West End of London. She wore a pair of delicate buckskin gloves, and carried a handsome riding-whip in ber hand. We have already said that this woman’s fea- tures, though exceedingly handsome, were largely chiselled and somewhat coarse. This was espe- cially observed in the mouth, the lips being full, yet not with that sweet pouting expression which gives a charm to such fullness of lips in woman. Ofa rich and moist red, they were not merely luscious but strongly sensual lips; yet when parted they revealed teeth faultlessly even aud white asivory. When first casting the eye upon her, and ere the delusion ag to her sex was thoroughly cleared up, the absence of beard or whisker was not immediately noticed in conse- quence of the olive duskiness of her complexion, which gave her a masculine air: and then too that bold and hardy gaze which she invariably fixed upon any stranger the moment she encountered one, likewise tended to suatain the idea of the sex whose apparel sbe had assumed. Her age might ‘be about twenty-five or twenty-six; but when eonsidered in her male apparel, she at once struck the beho]der as being a young man of one-and- twenty. When she spoke, it was in a voice that was strong without being coarse or harsh ; it had all that flute-like power of tone which was also calculated to deceive the observer as to her real gex and sustain the delusion. Who or what she was will hereafter transpire in due course: but at present we can only introduce her to the reader as Lady Bess. On entering the wretched tap-room an expres- sion of disgust flitted across her features: but al- moet instantaneously throwing aside that look. she said with a careless smile and in an off-hand manner, “ Well, you are all deep in your orgie. I suppose it began ere sunset and will last till at least sunrise ?” “ Will you alt down and join us?” asked Chiffin the Cannibal. “ No—I have not time,” responded Lvedy Beas, beating one of her legs negligently with the horsewhip ae she surveyed the group through the haze of tobacco-smoke. ‘You never have time,” growled Chiffin in a surly manner. + But I have had time, though, to do you a ser- vice,” immediately rejoined Lady Bess: “and when you had just recovered from a long illness I gave you assistance in the hour of your need. I have never asked it back again—I have never wanted it—I would not take it even were it offered: but what I do look for, is civility in return.” “ Lady Bess is right !” exclaimed several voices, all the females joining {n without exception. “ Come, we will bave no disputing,” said the amaezonian beauty: then opening the door, she cried out, “Solomon! Where is that scoundrel old Solomon ?” “ Here I be, my lady,” answered a fawning ob- Bequious woice from behind the bar outside. “ What's your ladyship'’s orders? _Bill’s holding your ladyship’s horse——” “ A truce to so many ladyships,” exclaimed the woman in male attire; “and bring in two erown bowls of punch: and then bid your old wife pre- such supper as her larder affords—and charge e whole to me.” “There! didn't I say her ladyship would come down handsome ?” cried the female who had pre- viously predicted the regale of punch that had just been ordered. “ But wouldn't it be a greater treat etill if Lady Bess would sit down and drink it with us?” “ T’o be sure! to be sure!” oried many voices. “But while thanking you for the compliment,” eaid Lady Bess, ‘I have already told you that I have no time. Now, who is there hero that will do me a service ?—I mean amongst the men —for it is a message that I wish to send.” Several of the male revellers volunteered ; and Lady Bess sweeping her bright eyes over them, as if to select the one whom she most fancied for the purpose, said, “ I choose you, Tony Wilkins.” The individual to whom she thus addressed herself, was a young man of not more than three or four-and-twenty, but whose looks fell very little short of those of any of his companions in their sinister expression and evil nature. He was clad in a squalid garb, and his appearance alto- gether was such that it seemed scarcely credible any person in his senses would have trusted him out of sight to get change for even half-a-crown. Yet it appeared that Lady Bess knew her man, and saw something in him which convinced her that he would faithfully execute her commission. This surmise on her part seemed fully corro- borated by the zeal with which he had at first vo- lunteered, and the evident pleasure with which he found himself the select objoct of her choico. “ Now, Tony,” continued Lady Bees, drawing forth a small sealed packet from her pooket, “ you must take this, and run as hard as you can down to King's Cross. There you will see a tall gen- tleman enveloped in a cloak, and with his hat slouched over his features. He will be lounging about near the statue. You must accost him, aud say, ‘The night is dark.’ He will answer, ‘Put st can be made brighter.’ If he gives you this reply you will at once thrust the little packet into his hand and speed off instantaneously. Bat should he not give that reply, you will know he is not the individual whom you seek; and you must look out for another answering the de- scription I have given. However, as it is not likely on this warm summer night that any indi- vidual, unless for a particular purpose, would wrap himeelf up in a cloak, it is next to certain that the first whom you meet thus muffled, will be the one for whom the packet is destined. Having per. formed your commission, you can come back and enjoy your share of the supper I have ordered, CONNEC MOO SS COMM