The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 75: what you’re looking at

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64 THE MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. acquainted with every inch of the ground ; and he soon reached the spacious gardens belonging to the ducal country-seat- He halted at the pedi- ment of a particular statue; and there in a few minutes he was joincod by the old steward Purvis, Only a few wards were exchanged between them; and they proceeded together towards the mansion. They reached a large greenhouse or conservatory, which was built against the length of one entire side of the edifice, and into which the windows of a suite of three rooms opened. The reader will therefore understand that there were means of communication from those rooms with the conservatory: but we must add that there was likewise a door opening from the conservatory itself into the garden. It was towards this door that Purvis and Mr. Redcliffe proceeded ; and the old steward opened it by means of a key which he had taken care to have about him. Mr. Redcliffe entered: Purvis gently closed the door behind him—and hurrying away, re-entered the mansion by another mode of ingress. Into the conservatory looked the windows of the dining-room that was used on ordinary occa- sions, as well as those of the library and billiard- room. From one of these apartments only were lighte now shining; and this was the dining-room. Within that room two individuals were seated at a table covered with dessert and wine: these indi- viduals were the Duko of Marchmont and the Hon. Wilson Stanhope. Mr. Redcliffe advanced cautiously and noise- lessly—amidst the rare exotics, the choice plants, and the tropical trees with which the conservatory was crowded — towards the window which was nearest to the table where the Duke and his guest were seated. The draperies were so far drawn over all the windows that ‘they only suffered the light to penetrate through narrow openings ; thus, as the reader will understand, the casemen themselves were almost completely veiled from the eyes of those who were seated inside the apart- ment. Through the opening in the curtains Mr. Redcliffe noticed them; and with the utmost cau- tion be unfastened the casement. Doubtless he had been already informed by Purvis that he might risk this much; and he had also received the assurance that the casement would yield to his touch. It did so: and opening it to the ex- tent of two or three inches, he could now over- hear whatecever passed betwixt the Duke and his guest. So well built was the conservatory, and so warm was the air therein from the effect of arti- ficial heat, that no draught could penetrate through the opening of the casement; and thus there was nothing to lead the Duke or Mr. Stanhope to sus- pect that the window was open at all. We mast add that Stanhope sate with his back to Mr. Red- cliffe; and consequently the Duke of Marchmont had his face towards him. “And now will your Grace at length be ex- plicit P” inquired Stanhope, as he filled his giass from one of the exquistely cut decanters. “ Let us take a little more wine,” responded the Duke, “ before we get to the dry details of business.” “So far from taking any more wine,” said Wilson Stanhope, “I think I ought to keep my head cloar: for it can assuredly be no ordinary matter on which your lordship is about to speak.” “I admit that it is important,” rejoined the Dake: “I have already told you so.” “ But more important, I fancy,” observed Stan- hope, “ than your Grace has hitherto given me to understand. Aé first you were to enter into ex- planations the other night at the Clarendon Hotel, when I dined with you——” “I do not think that I promised to be explicit on that occasion,” anbwered the Duke. “I merely told you that after our wine, on that particalar evening, I would take and introduce you to your intended mistress, the beautiful Marion; and I ful- filled my promise. Ina word, Stanh®pe, I have been true to every promise I made you; the five handred pounds were paid into a banker’s to your account-———"” “Yes, my lord,” interrupted Stanhope, “you have done all this; and it is because you have done so much that I can judge of the importance of the service, whatever it may be, in which you seek to engage me. You could not, or you would not, tell me in London: but you make an appointment for me to meet you privately down here——” “To be sure !” ejaculated Marchmont,—*“ where we could dine together téte-d-téte, as we have done —and where without fear of being interrupted or overheard, we may discuss the service that I need at your hands.” “And now, the sooner that discussion com- mences, the better,” observed Stanhope. “I am open to almost anything: but I love not suspense. It is like groping one’s way in the dark———And, ah! by the bye, my lord, IL hope that whatecever new task you are about to confide to me, will not be baffled and defeated so completely as the former one was——I mean with respect to that affair of the Duchess——” “Enough |” interrupted the Duke impatiently. “Think you that I could for a moment misunder- and | stand your meaning P”’ “And now with regard to the present bus- ness P”*” said Stanhope. “'You are a man,” resumed the Duke of March- mont, “of expensive habite—accustomed to luxa- rious living; and the sum of five hundred pounds which I paid into your account the other day, will prove but as a drop to the ocean in comparison with your lavish mode of expenditure. Indeed, you are aman, Stanhope, who ought to be able to reckon your money by thousands instead of by hundreds.” “If all this,” exclaimed Stanhope, “is to lead to the assurance that your Grace can put me in the way of gaining thousands, it will assuredly be the most welcome intelligence that I shali have heard for a very long time past.” “Tt isthe truth that I am telling you!” re- joined the Duke of Marchmont: and then he added after a pause, in a lower tone, and fixing his looks significantly apon his guest, “ It is not five, nor ten, nor fifteen thousand pounds that I should hesitate to place in your hands, if you could only accomplish the aim which I have in view.” Mr. Redcliffe fancied that Wilson Stanhope must have been astounded by this announcement : for although he could not see that individual’s face, he could nevertheless judge by his manner, a: well as by his prolonged silence, that he was gasing in a sort of sta amazement upon the Duke of Marchmont. As for the Duke himself, he kept CONIC OOO