The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 119: what you’re looking at

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

104 THE MYSTERIES. - &Well—I will do so now, my charmer,” returned Meagles; “and the narrative will afford you a little farther insight with respect to the character of our friend George. It will moreover prove that we are fully justified in obtaining possession of papers for the purpose of overawing Aim, inasmich as he has not hesitated to adopt the same course with a view to coerce his own father.” “ What! to menace and threaten the King?” ex- claimed Letitia, in astonishment. “ Nothing more nor less,’ responded Meagles, coolly. “Listen. It was a little more than fifteen years ago, that the Prince—then only eighteen—was one evening walking by himself down Whitehall, when he espied by the lamp-light a beautiful young woman who appeared to be surveying the buildings in that neighbourhood as if she were looking for some particular house or Government Office. He ac- costed her, and soon got into conversation with the charming stranger. She told him that she had come from Aylesbury on important business, and was anxious to obtain an interview with the Home Secre- tary as soon as possible. The Prince assured her that it was too late to procure an audience of that functicnary ; and she finally agreed to accompany him whithersoever he chose to take ner. I need scarcely tell you that they passed the night together ; and so pleased was the stripling George with his new acquaintance that he was by no means desirous for the amour to terminate there. He accordingly made her certain proposals—offering to maintain her as his mistress, and revealing who he was. The young woman was overjoyed at having captivated the Prince; and, in the fullness of her delight, she told him the object of her journey to London. In fact, this was none other than Mrs. Warren, the wife of the fellow who is now known as the Magsman.” ‘‘T remember well that when I first knew Warren fourteen or fifteen years since,” said Lady Letitia, “he told me and Rann how he had come up to Lon- don to look for his wife; and he also acquainted us at the same time with the object of her journey. Therefore, when [ met Warren again six or seven months ago, one of the first questions I put to him was Whether he had ever succeeded in finding his wife; and, after replying in the negative, he observed it was vexatious that the one half of the certificate had disappeared with her, because accident had thrown him in the way of the late Hannah Lightfoot’s brother, in whose possession the other half existed. I subsequently mentioned this fact to you, Tim—if vou remember: and then you told me for the first time that you had seen in the hands of the Prince the fragment which Mrs. Warren had originally brouzht with her to London.” | “T recollect,’ said Meagles: “ and it was fortunate that the Magsman had told you where he might be found in case his services were ever needed.” “Not particularly fortunate either,’ returned the | Amazon: “ for when you and I visited old Lightfoot, according to a previous arrangement with Warren, | the crabbed old fellow would not somuch as show us his half of the document—much less part with it on any consideration.” “ He fancied he should get more by treating with the principal,’ observed Meagles. ‘“ But now that we have resolved to renew the negotiations, and on our own account too, we will be more liberal in our offers than the means of the Prince pe rmitted us to be six or seven months ago. You can obtain three or four thousand pounds from Sir John—can’t you, my beauty 2” “Leave me to manage that, Tim,” replied the Amazon. “ And now finish your story about Mrs. Warren.” ‘Oh! I had completely lost sight of that,” ex- claimed Meagles., Prince made proposals to Mrs. Warren, and that she acquainted him with the object of her journey to London. He induced her to give up the fragment of the certificate to him; and he provided splendidly for her: but I never could learn from him what be- came of her, nor how long their connexion lasted. All I know is that she certainly did not go back to her husband; and perhaps she was very glad to be separated from a fellow who, to judge by his present appearance and manners, was likely enough to have been coarse and brutal fifteen or sixteen years ago.” “ He was never a polished diamond,’ remarked Lady Letitia. “ But poor Rann made him useful during the few months that their acquaintance lasted; and afterwards I totally lost sight of the fellow until I met him last July.” “To return to what we were talking about,” re- sumed Meagles, “ I must inform you that the Prince had the most selfish motives in getting possession ot the fragment of the certificate signed by his father, instead of letting the Home Secretary buy it up. For George the Third had already experienced good reason to complain of his eldest son’s extravagances; and the Prince thought that it would be as well«to hold in his hand the means of coercing his father at pleasure. Accordingly, more than once has he threatened His Majesty to enclose the paper to the Queen, unless his demands were satisfied ;. and as. the King stands in awful dread of his royal wife, the prudish and snuff-taking Charlotte, this menace has usually had the desired effect. But the next time that the Prince contemplates using the mys- terious fragment, he will search for it in vain,” added Meagles, with a laugh of satisfaction. “In fact, I have succeeded in getting the King—the Prince— and Mrs. Fitzherbert completely into my power.” .. “ Mrs. Fitzherbert !* exclaimted Lady Letitia. “I do not see how she is precisely in your power, Tim. It is true that you have ascertained the real nature of her connexion with the Prince: but perhaps she would thank you for proclaiming it, rather than feel herself aggrieved.” Bhs «“ Ah! this is another secret of mine, you harum- searum good-for-nothing,’”’ said Meagles, with a sly look. “ But Ido not intend to make any mystery of it towards you, Letitia,” he added almost imme- diately,“ now that we have determined to pull together in the same boat. The fact is that the influx of these foreign refugees has proved of some service ; for on the one hand it has thrown upoa our shores a Marquis of Saint Croix to lend a good round sum to the Prince of Wales—and on the other hand it has sent amongst us a Marquis of Bellois to give certain curious information to Mr. Timothy Meagles.” “What do you mean?” inquired the Amazon, animated with the most lively curiosity. “J mean that eight years ago Mrs. Fitznerbert visited France,’ replied Meagles; “and that at Plombiers she became acquainted with a nobleman of handsome appearance and elegant manners: I mean also that she fell deeply in love with him, ‘and that she accompanied him to Paris, where in —— “ Well—I was saying that the | ™ —_ a ESSSSSSeSeSeSesese age eseees Cae — COLMA Ghooksscom