The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 39: what you’re looking at

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

28 whole of one foot and half the «/aer in tne grave —deaf, and in his dotage—thn nobleman had nevertheless only just returned from an embassy at one of the principal Continental courts after an absence from England of some f.ve or six years. Lord Wenham—for such was his denomination —had been an old patron of Madame Angelique previous to his appointment to the embassy above alluded to: he was therefore well initiated in the mysteries of her household—but the four young ladies whom the private part of her establishment now contained, were complete strangers to him. She had heard of his recent return to the British metropolis; and being resdlved to make a last penny out of him before she gave up businese altogether, she had written him the note which now brought him into ber presence. “Why, my dear ‘Madame Angelique,” mumbled the old lord, as he deposited himself in an easy chair—an effort which raised so violent a fit of coughing that for upwards of a minute it seemed as if his enervated frame must be shattered to pieces,—“ I vow and protest that you look—ugh! ugh !—this cough of mine!—younger than when I last saw you.” “And yet, my lord,” responded the ‘milliner, “the lapse of five years can scarcely make one look younger——”"’ “Ah, very good! very good!” said Lord Wen- ham, laughing with a chuckle that was hideous as a death-rattle. “Yes, yee—in spite of five years ‘ you find me looking—ugh! ugh !—younger also ?” | Madame qnu==® 8< —for be it observed that on account of his deaf. ness he had not caught the precise terms of the milliner’s speech. “You look so young, my lord,” exclaimed Angelique, taking advantage of the little error into which he had fallen, and now speaking loud enough to make herself heard, “that I am convinced you are as terrible amongst the fair sex as ever *” “Ab, ah! I understand,” said Lord Wenham : “ you have got—ugh! ugh |l—some sweet creature ‘that you mean to tempt me with—eh ? eh P—ugh ! ugh!” - Fully eeteeming your lordship’s kind petron- age,” rejoined Madame Angelique, “before you went as Ambassador Plenipotentiary to the Court of——, I was resolved to give you the prefer- ence for the most beautiful girl that ever con- fidingly placed herself in my hands. [ can assure you, my lord,” added the wily woman, with a cig- nificant look, “that she is as pure and virtuous as the day she was born—an immaculate virgin !” The old nobleman leered - licked his lips ealaciously. “It is a positive fact, - lord,” continued Madame Angelique. “The truth is, she has re- cently been left an orphan: and to be candid, she is a niece of mine. What can I do with her, poor thing! except provide for her in a way of which her beauty renders her so deserving ?” “To be sure! to be sure!” said the old noble- man, who in order that he might not loso a single syllable that fell from Madame Angelique’s lips, drew forth an ear-trumpet, and listencd therewith. “ Go on ugh ! ugh!” “It is all precisely ae I have the honour to in- form your lordship,” continued the woman: “ and therefore——-But what do you think ?” she sud- THE MYSTERIES OF TUR COURT. denly ejaculated. “Somehow or another the Dake of Marchmont heard of this lovely creature being under my care; and he came last night and offered me five hundred guineas to take her of my hands. But I said, ‘No, no, my Lord Duke! I have the honour of a nobleman’s acquaintance who I know will cheerfully write me a cheque for a thousand, and bear off Mise Eglantine in teiumph !’—That’s what I said, my lord.” “And you meant me?” said Lord Wenham, full of nervous anxiety to obtain posssesion of the much-vaunted prize: “you meant me, my dear creature ugh! ugh! this cough of mine !—— But you meant me P”’ “Cortainly I did, my lord! right P’”” “To be sure! to be sure!” responded his lord- ship. “But can you really guarantee—eh !—— you know what I mean ——ugh! ugh!” “That ehe is innocence iteelf!” exclaimed Madame Angelique. “In short, she is almost too prudish: but I have no doubt that with your lordship’s powers of cajolery—thoee powers which, as the newspapers say, you used to such effect when you put the Foreign Minister at the Court of in auch a dilemma ——” ‘‘ Ab, you have heard of that ?” said the an- cient diplomatist, chuckling. “Egad! I talked his Excellency off to sleep; and when he woke up, he signed the treaty in the twinkling of an eye. But about this Mies Egiantine——what a sweet name ! dear me, what a sweet name !——<agh ! ugh ! ugh !” ‘‘She is vour’s therefore, my lord!” answered Madame Angelique; “and the bargain is cone cluded.” “ Kh ?-etop!’* cried his lordship. “I should just like, you know, to see her first of all—merely, you know-———agh ! agh !—this cough of mine hl” And was I nut ug “To be sure! I will go and fetch her at once. There are writing-materials: your lordship can pen the cheque—for if you are not satisfied with the first view of her, your lordship can but cancel the draught.” ‘ Having thus spoken, Madame Angelique issued from the boudoir; and leaving his lordship in the midst of an ecstatic fit of coughing, she ascended to the private chamber of Mies Ezgiantine, who had only just completed her toilet. T'or this of virtue and innocence, who was also tinged with prudery, had been passing the night, and several hours of the forenoon also, ta the arms of one of the frequenters of Madamo Angeliquoe’s establishment. “Now, my dear girl,” eaid the crafty woman, “I am come to announce to you that your fortune is made. I purpose to gite up my business as soon as possible: but in all motherly kindness [ mean to provide for the dear girle~yourself in- eluded—whom I look upon as my caughters. Here is a nobleman immensely rich, who will take you into his keeping: he will allow you at least eighty pounds a week; and if you play your cards well, you can marry him. To be sure, he is not quite so young as he might be—perhaps sixty or so, though he may look a trifle older: but then there is this to be considered—that you can manage him all the more easily ; for he is some- what in hie dotage. Come along with me at once. | | GDoo <S