The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 21: what you’re looking at

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

nae + me — ee ee Sie iE Ee ee me ee ort i Ro te eg —ee oe we ee eee ee ee eee eee eee CS | THE MYSTERIEG, that there was a son born. This child—according to the same vague authority—was secretly removed to the house of the late Sir William and Lady Stamford and adopted by them, her ladyship’s own infant happening to die at the period. All this I heard at Aylesbury—but of course I don’t pretend in any way to vouch for it.” “T should think not, indeed!’ exclaimed a gentle- man who, entering the apartment at the instant, but unperceived by the commercial travellers, had caught the latter portion of Mr. Page’a observations. The bag-men started as those words, uttered in a tone of mingled im and contempt, fell upon their ears ; ind tarning sound they beheld the new-comer from whose we lips the disdainful remark had fallen. He was an individual of remarkably imposing ap- pearance. His features were handsome, thongs his countenance was now evidently flushed with wine: his figure was tall, well proportioned, and command- ing :—and in his gait and gestures there was an easy elegance combined with a nobility of air which be- spoke the polished gentleman. The intellectuality of his face would have however been somewhat marred by its roundness, the gracefulness of the oval being destroyed by the fatness of the cheeks,—had not the high and open forehead redeemed the fault. His hair was of that uncertain colour which appears of a dark chesnut in some lights, and auburn in others; and it was naturally curled and wavy. His age seemed to be a few years over thirty; and his attire was neat, good, but unpretending. Such was the individual who made the above-men- tioned remark as he entered the commercial-room at the George and Blue Boar; and taking off his hat, cloak, and warm gloves, he seated himself at a table. Almost immediately afterwards the waiter made his appearance with a steaming tumbler of rum- punch, which the gentleman had ordered as he passed e bar. But from the first instant that the stranger had met the eyes of Mr. Page, this worthy individual had mot ceased to stare at him. It was not however with the offensive gaze of impertinent curiosity ; nor was it the rude survey of coarse vulgarity :—but it was the fixed contemplation of one who is suddenly struck by a resemblanoe, and who fancies he knows the ob- ject of his scrutiny, yet on the other hand feels almost certain that he must be mistaken. At this juncture the other two commercial travel- lera, rose and retired; and Mr. Page was left alone with the stranger. CHAPTER IL THE FLIGHT AND THE PURSUIT. We should observe that hitherto the gentleman whom we are still compelled to denominate “the stranger,” had not noticed the searching earnestness of gaze with which the bag-man him; in- deed, no sooner had he taken his seat at the table, when he appeared to fall into a profound reverie,— as if totally forgetting the observation he had made on entering—the words which had elicited it—and the presence of any one else in the room. Mr. Page, feeling that his survey of the turned towards the fire, which he poked vigorously then he took a few sips of whiskey-and-water, and tried to make himself comfortable. But there was s feeling of uneasiness upon him, which rapidly grew more painful; and in a few minutes he found that he was again staring at the gentleman more intently than at first. “It is impoesible that I can be mistaken,” thought the bewildered commercial traveller, fidgetting in his chair; “and yet it is equally impossible that I can be right. He would never come into a public room in this manner—particularly so soon after the event. Nevertheless, the likeness is striking! The same hair—the same high and open forehead—the same stature—the same well-proportioned form! Upon my soul it is very puzszling,—and very, very dis- agreeable.” Having reached this point in his reflections, he rang the bell violently and ordered his glass to be replenished. The waiter was evidently astonished at the excitement manifested in the summons, and begged submissively to know “whether the last tumbler was to Mr. Page's liking?” The reply was given in the affirmative; and the functionary de- parted with his feelings considerably relieved by the assurance—for he had begun to fancy that some- thing had occurred to annoy one of his master’s best customers. On his return with the hot toddy, the waiter found Mr. Page gazing with painful earnestness upon the strange gentleman, who, still unconscious of the attention which his presence thus excited, was now listlessly sipping his ram-punch and looking up ina vacant manner at a picture of a sea-fight suspended between the windows. “John,” said the commercial traveller, in a low and scarcely audible tone, as he mysteriously beckoned the waiter close up to him ;—then, casting a furtive glance towards the stranger, he demanded laconically, “ Who is that gentleman ¢” “T really don’t know, sir,” was the reply, also delivered in a whisper. “ But master seemed to re- cognise him when he ordered his rum-punch at the bar.”’ “Then go and ask your master who he is, John,” responded Mr. Page. The waiter glided out of the room with the quick and noiseless step peculiar to his fraternity; and the commercial traveller said to himeelf, as he stirred his whiskey-toddy, “ Now I shall haveall my doubts cleared up—or my suspicions confirmed.” But Mr. Page was doomed to experience disap- pointment, and to be plunged back into the bewil- derment from which he sought to emancipate him- self: for the waiter returned, with a solemn counte- nance; and while affecting to be busily engaged in poking the fire,—as the stranger was now looking in that direction—he said in a low and mysterious whisper, “Please, sir, master told me to mind my own business and not ask impertinent ques- tions.” “ Then it must be aa I thought!” murmured Mr Page; and he mechanically turned round to take another survey of the object of his attention, when he encountered the steady and almost haughty gaze of that gentleman’s full blue eyes. The commercial traveller quailed beneath the look, in which there was something so confident, proud, and self-suffi- cient that all the man’s doubts again sprung up in t etranger would be deemed an impertinence, if remarked, | his mind, and with renewed force: for he though COMIGCBOOKS COMM