The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 213: what you’re looking at

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SUEUR Enesco Sa cy a Ce eer — you so often render me: but I know that you have heavy expenses to meet in various ways—and per- haps that amount will sharpen your wits in my be- half on the present occasion.” “ Well—I suppose that I must see what I can do in the matter,’ said Mrs. Brace. “ Leave me to devise some project to smooth your path to the en- vied bower of the fair lady. After all, she is not ice—but flesh and bhlood—aye, and the blood is | warm, too, that flows in her veins. But have you forgotten your Octavia ?—does she no longer en- gage your thoughts, even for a single moment?” “T love and adore her with a lasting passion,” exclaimed the Prince: “and I shall write to her ina day or two to request her to meet me here. She believes that I am out of town for the present. But my affection for that beauteous girl is quite of a different nature from that which inspires me with regard to the Countess of Desborough. You say that you will see her ladyship the day after to- morrow in the forenoon? Well—in the evening I shall do myself the pleasure of visiting you again. Meantime farewell, dear Fanny.” And having embraced the handsome milliner, his Royal Highness took his departure. ——= =. CHAPTER LVI. TWO SPECIMENS OF THE “NEW LIGHTS.” At the same time that the preceding dialorue was taking place in Pall Mall, a scene of scarcely a less interesting character was in progress at Mr. Meagles’ lodgings in Jermyn Street. Shortly after eight o’clock on this particular evening, Lady Letitia Lade, habited in her Ama- zonian garb, arrived at her friend’s abode, and was immediately conducted by the agile Wasp to the parlour where his master was discussing a cigar and a bottle of Madeira. “Ny dearest Letitia,” exclaimed Meagles, bound- ing from his chair to receive and welcome the huntress; “If am so delighted you are come. There is such a treat in store for you !” “The canting parson, Ill be bound,” said the Amazon, laying aside her hat and arranging her glossy hair, as it showered in a thousand luxuriant ringiets over her well-formed shoulders. “Exactly so,” cried Meagles. “But sit down— take a glass of Madeira—light your cigarette—and I shall just have time to tell you all about it before he comes.” The beautiful woman complied with the various invitations to whieh Meagles gave such rapid ut- terance; and, lolling back in the chair while she stretched out her symmetrical legs towards the fender, she gave him a look to intimate that she was ail attention. “By the bye,” said Meagles, “ you have heard of Joe Warren’s marvellous escape ?” “The whole town is ringing with it,” responded the Amazon. “ He is a perfect rival of Jack Sheppard. But let us hear about the New Light,” she added, laughing. “So you shall,” returned Meagles. “This morn- ing, at about ten o'clock, I wanted to go into the City to pay some money to a person of whom lL bought a horse yesterday, and my gig was at the door, when as I was going down stairs, I overtook TT rrnnnramnrenen ere — 198 THE MYSTERIES. | my sanetimonious neighbour, Mr. Nathaniel Sneaks- : by. ‘A fine morning, reverend sir; 1 observed.— ‘Yes ; under the divine blessing; he obseryed; and then he turned round and stared at me very hard indeed. ‘JZ presume,’ he continued, after a long si- lence and an equally protracted survey, ‘ that you are the flesh-pot of Egypt who dwelletk on the first floor of this tabernacle !’—1 aeknowledged with. out hesitation that I was the flesh-pot alluded to; and although I hada great mind to knock him down for his impudence, I restrained myself bes cause such a proceeding on my part would only have spoilt the fun that you and I had determined to have with him.—‘ Alas / alas!’ he murmured, groaning heavily at the same time, and rolling his eyes in an awful fashion ; ‘is it possible that such a comely genileman as you are can bea prey to all the sinjul lusts of the flesh ?’— Really, sir, said I, ‘iam aia loss io understand your meaning ;? and I was getting very savage.—‘ Whose chariot of the Philistines is that at the door?” he demanded sud- denly, and without taking any notice of my obser- vation.—‘ Jt is my gig,’ 1 said; ‘ but as for its being a chariot or belonging to the Philistines, that is quite another part of the business’ —‘ Which way is the manof wrath going ? inquired Mr. Sneaksby.— ‘If you mean me, 1 am going into the City, was my answer.—‘ I will accompany the ungodly one, said the reverend gentleman : ‘he shall put me down at the gates of Salem, that the portals thereof may de- light kis eyes, and invite him some day to enter, And without any more ado, Mr. Nathaniel Sneaks- by clambered up into the gig, covered his legs with my spare cloak, and made himself as comfortable as possible. So away we drove ; and all along the Strand and Fleet Street the reverend gentleman regaled me with adiscourse on the vanity of every possible thing in this world that he could think of, At last, when we reached the commencement of Cheapside, he desired me to take him a little way up St. Martin’s le Grand; and, in compliance with his wishes, I stopped at the door of a large chapel, on the front of which the word ‘SaLem’ was cut in large letters. Two sleek-looking men, dressed in black, and who were standing at the entrance with faces as demure as if they were mutes, came forward and assisted the holy man to alight; and Mr, Sneaksby, without uttering a word of thanks for the ride he had enjoyed, asked me if I would not ‘tarry and hear the soul-refreshing discourse he was about to deliver. I expressed the regret I felt at my inability to accept his kind invitation; but [ said that if he would honour me with his eompany for an hour in the evening, in my own apartments, I should be charmed to listen to his edifying and instructive conversation, He took it quite seriously —seemed to have formed a much better opinion of me than at first—and promised to look in at half- past eight o’clock. It is that now,” added Tim, consulting his watch. Searcely had these last words fallen from the lips of Meagles, when slow and measured steps were heard descending the stairs, as if a funeral procession were coming down. “This is the parson,” whispered Meagles, chuck- ling in anticipation of glorious fun. “But he is bringing somebody with him,” ob- served the Amazon, in a similarly subdued tone. “ The more the merrier, if they’re all like himself,” responded Meagles. “ Hush!” GO 9)(0)) (C S(O