The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 190: what you’re looking at

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

THE MYBTERINS OF THE COURT. “You don’t mean to say you've done it P” cried the Frenchwoman in alarm. “Done it? Ob, dear me, no! not for the world! Besides, the girl is too ready with her hand in slapping one’s face——~” “ Then you have taken liberties with her!” ex- claimed Madame Angelique. “Now really this is too bad——” “Pray don’t entertain such an evil opinion of your devoted friend honest Ike Shadbolt. I only zneant that she looks like a girl who would slap a fellow's face———-Bat hush! mum !~—here she is!” The lunch was accordingly brought in; and it was now quite edifying to observe the curious manner in which Mr. Shadbolt endeavoured to look grave, serious, and well-conducted—pursing up his mouth, and only fartively leering from the corner of his eves at Madame Angelique and Jane to mark the effect which he produced. When the pretty maid-servant had retired, he indemnified himself for three minates’ seriousness by five minutes’ laughter; and then he began to pay his respecta to the cold chicken, the ham, and the Madeira. “ Talking about respectability,’ continued Mr. Shadbolt, “I highly approve of your determination to maintain that respectability here. People in a certain class of life can’t get on without it. Take your grocer, for instance, who all the week has been selling sugar mixed with sand, sloe leaves for tea, chichory for coffee, turmeric for mustard, ground bones for arrow-root, and every other kind of abomination: but he goes to church on Bunday, and is, of course, a most respectable man. It is the same with everything elee——” ““No doubt,” said Madame Angelique, again smiling. “Bat I tell you what I should advise you to do,” resumed Shadbolt. “Just send a twenty pound note to some Missionary Society—that one of Choker’s, for instance-———” “ No—I am not quite such a fool as all that,” replied Madame Angelique. “I think I shall establish my respectability in thig neighbourhood on a very sure basis without any such ridiculous proceedmg. By the bye, I was going to ask you: a “Ask me anything, my dear madam,” inter- jected Shadbolt, “except to give up this bottle of Madeira until I have sent the last glass of it down my throat.” “XE was going to ask you who that Captain Oartwright really is, that you introduced to me, and who managed those affairs so admirably P” “He really was once a Captain in the army,” replied Shadbolt: “but he sold oot and ren through all his money. Then he becamea regular men upon the town—living on his‘ wite—until a few years ago, when he visited Paris; and there he got in gaol for debt. Afterwards he returned 6. eo and became a secret spy of the Home “ ‘What do you mean P” exclaimed Madame An- gelique. “A epy of the English Home Office ?” she cried incredulously. | “Yes, to be sure,” responded Shadbolt. “If you ever read the newspapers, you will see that every year twenty or thirty thougand pounds—| forget exactly how much—are voted for what is ealled Secret Servico Money: and what do you 179 think secret service money is for except for the employment of spies and all that sort of thing P Why, there’é never a political meeting held by the working-classes but what the secret spies of gd- vernment ere present; and when anything very strong or very seditious is said, the spics always cheer the loudest.” “You astonish me!” said Madame Angelique. “It’e nevertheless a fact,” replied Mr. Shadbol€ : “and the reason’s clear enough. The government likes to give a certain colour to the working-class meetings, because it frightens the middle-classes and makes them stick all the closer to the aristo- cracy.” “To be sure! Now I understand !” said Ma- dame Angelique. “But this Captain Cartwright of whom we were speaking——” “ He got into disgrace somehow or another with the government,” continued Shadbolt: “I think it was for not swearing strong enough at a political trial some time back ; and so he got his discharge. Then he took to living on his wits again; and so the business we have Intely put into his hand has been a splendid windfall for him.” | While thus diseoursing, the luncheon progressed ; and when Madame Angelique had imbibed three or four giesses of the fine old Madeira, she began to feel less antipathy towards Shadbolt than she was wont to experience at times when she was not under any artificial influence. The idea strength- ened in her mind that though she already possessed riches, she might as well double their amount ; and that as circumstances hac thrown in her way so willing an instrament as this man, she might just as well render hiar still more useful. Accord- ingly, after having partaken of another glass, Madame Angelique said, “Well, Mr. Shadbolt, everything considered, I mean to adopt the pro- poeal you made to me just now.” “I know you would,” responded this individual, who, during a brief pause in the discourse, had been making immense inroads upon the comestibles as well as upon the fluids. “The sooner we make a beginning, the better.” Madame Angelique reflected for a few minutes; and after enumerating several names in her own mind, she at length stopped at one the recollection of which appeared to give her great satisfaction. “Yes—this is a sure card,” she said, now giving audible expression to her thoughts. “ You have nothing to do but present the note, which I will immediately write.” “ And who is the lady ?” asked Mr. Shadbolt. Madame Angelique did not respond to the ques- tion: but placing herself at a writing-table near the window, she penned a note. ‘Now, Mr. Shadbolt,” she said, when sho had folded, sealed, and addressed the billet; “if you think you are sober enoagh, after all that wine, to conduct the business properly, you may at once set about making your first experiment. Balham Hill is at no great distance: you can find some vehicle to take you thither-——” “TI will proceed on this mission at once,” ex- claimed Mr. Shadbolt, who was eager to begin. | “ As for being sober enough, the more I drink the better fitted I am for business.” Thus speaking, he received the note from the Frenchwoman’s hand ; and surveyed the address. “Lady Anastatia Latham,” said Mr. Shadbolt COMIC DOG (CO