The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 33: what you’re looking at

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

qneeam art 2 or less truth in the man’s words, having the term “police” still ringing ominously in her ear, and afraid of angering one who made himeelf as com- pletely at home as if he had a conscious right to do so,—forbore from pulling the bell; and whis- pered to Marion, “ Had we not better see what he really wante? Perhaps he will explain himeelf ? M. Bertin would scarcely have let him up unless he had fall authority from madame.” “Come, sir,” said Marion, authoritatively, “ ex- plain.” “An explanation of my conduct is quickly given, my dears,” said Mr. Shadbolt; “ and all the quicker too, since I see that with regular female curiosity you are all four burning to know what brings your humble servant and ever faithful ad- mirer to this here saloon. There are several reasons. In the first place, I knew very well I should have the pleasure—or at least stand the chance, of meeting some of the sweetest yo creatures in all England. In the second place, I knew that the claret was super-excellent and the port stunning. In the third place, I had an eye to the cake and fruit. And in the fourth place, my dears, I have a little private business of a very particular character with the amiable old dowager.” The girls could scarcely repress a smile at the consummate impudence—-the cool free-and-casy independence of Mr. Isaac Shadbolt; and even the proud Marion suffered her moist red lips to part sufficiently to reveal the brilliancy of her teeth. Mr. Shadbolt continued to leer familiarly at the syrens, while he demolished the cake and the pine- apple; and then he helped himself to another tumbler full of wine. “And now,” he said, “that I’ve refreshed my- self a bit, I should take it as civil if either of you young ladies would just show me where I shall find the old dowager.” “We will ring for a servant,” said Egliantine, now once more extending her snowy, beautifully modelled arm towards the bell-pall. “Btop, my dear!’ exclaimed Mr. Shadbolt: “ it is not worth while to trouble the slaveys—it would only throw the old lady into a flutter if we were to use so much ceremony, because she knows who Tam. Just take the trouble to show me the way yourself; and if we do happen to pass through a | tlemen, dark together, I won’t snatch a kiss-—— Oh, no! not I indeed !’"—and then Mr. Shadbolt was lost for the next half-minute in a series of nods, winks, and amatory leers. Eglantine consulted Marion with a glance; and the latter said in a loud haughty tone, “ This scene must positively end, my dear. Ring the bell, and have done with it.” “Perhaps I had better not,” whispered Eglan- tine: “it might only annoy and frighten madame, as this man has already intimated :”—then hasten- ing towards Shadbolt, she said, “ Oome—follow me.” The detective-officer, bowing after his own free- and-easy fashion to the other three young ladies, accompanied Miss Egiantine,—who conducted him to Madame Angelique’s boudoir, taking very good care however to keep sufficiently in advance so as to avoid any practical familiarity which Mr. Shad. bolt might in his amatory playfulness think fit to exhibit. Madame Angelique was alone in her luxuriously furnished room: the detective-officer “HR MYBTERIZES OF THE COURT. was introduced thither ; and Eglantine flitted back to the saloon, to communicate to her companions how startled and dismayed the mistress of the establishment looked when Mr. Shadbolt entered the boudoir. Abd such indeed was the case. A cold tremor swept through the form of the Frenchwoman, whose conscience for some time past had been so uneasy, and who constantly experienced a sensa- tion as if some fearful calamity would suddenly explode storm-like upon her head. The detective bowed with the air of one who had no necessity to await a welcome greeting, but who felt that he exercised an influence, or indeed an authority, which would ensure him a most civil reception, no matter what the real feeling of the mistress of the house might be. “Bit down, Mr. Shadbolt—pray be seated,” said Madame Angelique, as soon as she had sufficiently recovered from the first shock of terror to be enabled to give utterance to a word: but still her. limbs were all trembling, and her voice was full of a nervous trepidation. “I thought—I thought— that is, you led me to belicve—that—that it would be a long, long time——” “ Before you saw my beautiful visage again ?” added Mr. Shadbolt, with his wonted flippancy. “Well, I believe, ma'am,” he continued, as he leisurely smoothed down the ruffled nap of his hat with his coat-sleeve, “I did intimate something of the sort——” ~ “ Yes—and you know,” interjected Madame Angelique, eagerly, “I was to give you a hundred a-year—and I am sure, Mr. Shadbolt But perhaps you have got bad news? perhaps some- thing else has turned up P” “Well, ma’am, I am sorry to.say that such is the case,” rejoined the officer. “ There isn’t a more. delicate-minded man in all the world than honest Ike Shadbolt—or one who has more regard for a lady’s feelings: I am as tender as a chicken in that reepect——Bat there’s* persons higher in authority than even Ike Shadbolt.” “T understand !” said Madame Angelique, with a shudder: “you mean the Commissioners of Police?” “ Well, ma’am, I did just allude to those gen- *” answered the detective. “Now, the long and short of the matter is, they have received an- other intimation about your house 7 “Ob, Mr. Shadbolt!” cried the Frenchwoman, wringing her hands in despair ; “I offered to wall up the unfortunate door—or to give up my busi- neas in respect to the young ladies, and attend only to the millinery ——-or even———But you told me #0 positively that I need do nothing of the sort !”” “And I only told you ma’am,” interrupted Shadbolt, “ what I thought at the time. But cir- cumstances may alter—and they have altered. Immediately after my former visit, I reported to the Commissioners that you had faithfully pro- mised to do all you have just been saying; and they appeared satisfied. I thought that it would all end pleasantly—that they would leave the matter in my hands—and that es long as I made no additional report, they would take it for granted I was keeping a look-out on you, and you were doing all that was . But behold you! this afternoon I was summoned to Scotland CONMNCE OOO <S co