The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 357: what you’re looking at

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

846 tian’s presence. “His Grace he sall say be by no means engaged ; and his lordship he vell inclined to see his vare goot friends what sall be for loving him so vell.” The Lord Chamberlain of that high and mighty potentate, the Grand Duke of Maxe-Stolburg- Quotha, looked, if possible, more seedy than over, and brought with him his accustomed odour of raw opions, strong cubas, and itense perspiration. He was followed by the Chevalier Kadger, who kept his right arm most tmyetétivusiy h-ld to bis side-—the teal truth beifg that théte was under the armpit @ tent @hich Mould hate looked most unseetdly whet about the porsoA of the Equerry to a teigniig Duke j is Would Rave moreover betbayed & fact that ib GAS just 48 well to keep conctiled : Mantels; that hid Bacelletey ihe Cheva. lieg Kadget Wotd tid shiek: Guuths Frtimpen- hauseti brought tip the feat j dnd a8 he Bad 4 cold, he was Seided With & sHeeaing Ait; which com- lied bith ty Blow his Htee: Bub | was particu- atly cautiots bo SUF POuid While tising hie hand- kerchiel, which Was & mete Girly rest of a faded eotton ode. intents 46 the Duke of Marchmthl’s disgast on beholding thees tired beggariy fullowéte of a beggarly Gettiah Prince thad ibeolently futee their way into hia presened. FoF the firat time pefhaps sires his himeslf had borte a ducal title, L8 as- Suttied 4 hauteur most eoldly dignified j and he anid to the Chevalier Guinbionen, “ You Hate wil: fully misisitetproted thé words 2 uttered ty iny Gomestie. f do hot eoutt the acquaintanté of bithet yourself bf four ertapantell Ah, vate got, iny lord |” ef@laimed the Ola: talier Gucibihnen, “ Your Giaee sali Be fui do: ing one vare gtest favour bo dat August Duké who you was ones de becretare to, aad who sal! be ov graciously pleased fer by hunour you? Grace Vid him friendship.” “We sall bo fot letting yor Gradé know,” Count Frimpenhauseti hastened te interjest, * dat we come 6n de special message from his Royal Highness-——~ Heit P” “If that be eo,” seid Ohtstian, @ haslen ahd e8- plain yourselves ; for mig tine is tog Yaluable to be wasted.” “His Royal Highness,” resumed the Chevalier Gumbinnen, in his capacity of spokesman, “ sall be for to find himself—bow you say it P—in der dayvil ofa mess. His Royal Highness he sall lose in de voyage by de steamer, tree large tronks so full of his clotes dat you sall not be able for to “tbrust in de pin betwixt dem. Dey all tree eall be tumble overboard in one vare great lurch of de steamer—and all through de vare one great fault of de captain. But dat not all: de worser sall be for tocome. De vare large stronz-box full of de gelt, and de stars and orders of his itvyal Ligh- ness, go down in one of dem tronks !” “And what do you require of me?” asked Christian, half coldly, half impatiently. “Himmel!” ejaculated the Chevalier Kadger, shrugging his shoulders, but keeping his right arm fixed as if it were nailed to his side. ‘His Royal Highness,” continued Gumbinnen, “not choose for to tell his vare goot brudder, de Prince Albert, of all dese mishaps; and derefore his Royal Highness sall be for hououring bis vare govt friend de Duke of Marchmont by asking fur THE MYSTERIES OF THB COURT. de loan of a tousand guineas and de address of bis Grace's tailor. Himmel, my lord! dat isde whole fact. Kadyer sall be for to prove it——” “And Count Frumpenlausen to swear to it,” added our hefo ironically. , “Boegar! You doubt us, my lord ?” exclaimed the Chevalier Gumbionen. “ Come, den, and see hie Royal Highness; and you eal! be for learning dat it all dd fact. Wo was fof saying to his Royal Highness dat we had sven de yoh§ Duke de oder day—dat he receive #8 bo kind—and dat he ack us to come anoder day a4 take dé loneh wit him. So den his Royal Highness he bail say, ' Vare goot ! Go to triine yons friedfie; tell kim what for I sall be wanting his asdistince, avid how he eall be for sending ine dé tovshnd guinéaé had de name of his tailo?.’ —= Hein FP’ “ Listeh; potitlemet;” eaid Gur goung hero. ~ * THé tale you have just told me about the loss of the tedoks id one Which carries dedeption on the fice of it. Your Grand Duke is as contemptible as yourselves—patticularly in respeet to the mode by Which he éeeks to replenish his purse. Unofor- tunately for the British people, he is really a Ger- men Grand Duke; and we all know it to our cost: for he never visite England without having his efpensess paid from our national treasury.” Here the Chevalier Gumbinnen thouglit it be- coming, a§ the Grand Duke’s represefitétive, to assume the indignant; and with a loudl¥ ejacn- lated “Bogart” he advanced so close up to Christian in ofder to give effect to the words he was about to utter, that the strong bdoer Whiol he carried about him Was most sickeningly everpoweting. The young Dultd haétenéd bo the window and threw itup. Jttst at that ¢é#y mo- tnent a Punch and Jady show was passing ih the Square; aud it halted, immediately under the Window: Then there arose a Sound of the big dram and the Pandwan piped (vulgarty dalled o thouth organ): the young Duke tossed out helf-a- Growt, at the tame time wavitig his hand fer the itinetents to depart—-whée ib struck him that he tecogrised the lead fatint form, as well as the pinched hungry counténanee, of th> individual Who was making that mtsic. A second glance Contineed his Grace that he was right. Yes! — there, with the mcuth-organ tucked into his neck- cloth, and the huge drum suspended by a oord over his shoulders—looking most excruciatingly unhappy—but still the most ludicrous picture of misery that can possibly be conceived—stoud that once eminent and distinguished man, Baron Kag. gidbak ! * There |” exclaimed Christian ; “ thero- is ond of your late friends!—a person who I have no doubt is in every way as deserving of a title—or of a prisun for vagabondage, nu matter wuich, as yourselves !” The Chevalier Gumbinnon, the Chevalier Kad- ger, and Couot I’rumpenhausen rushod to tho window; and thence they beheld the discarded Groom of the Stole Baron Raggidbak. The Baron himself, having his eycs turned upward while run- ning his lips along the reeds of the mouth-organ, cauzht eight of his three acquaintances; and a malignant expression appeared on his previously rueful countenance. Then, too, he recognised in the young Duke of Marchmont the late secretary of his Highness the Duke of Muexe-Stolburg- CORNICLOO© (CO