The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 293: what you’re looking at

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

re 278 THE MYSTERIES. of Brunswick. Steeped to my very eyes in debts— pestered by creditors whose dunning amounts to intolerable insolence—in constant danger of having my very carriage and horses seized by a rascally sherifl’s-officer every time I go out,—what course am I toadopt? 1 might bully my father in some re- spects—but I cannot bully the Ministers; and you know that Pitt and his party hate me as they do the very devil.” “ Well, then—from all this I am to understand that your Royal Highness will marry the Princess Caroline of Brunswick?” said Meagles, interro- gatively. “ Yes—provided I canin any way induce or com- pel Mrs. Fitzherbert to consent thereto,” replied the Prince. “ By fair means I should think that you will never succeed,” observed Meagles, drily. “That is precisely the apprehension which I en- tertain,” exclaimed the heir-apparent: then, after a brief pause, and in an embarrassed tone, he added, “ And as to foul means—I know not what kind to adopt.” “ But you would adopt them, if any were to be suggested ?” said Meagiles, in a quiet way. * My position is so awkward—so embarrassing— so intolerable, Tim,” answered the heir-apparent, in a subdued voice and with a significant look, “that I would do anything—vyes, anything,” he re- peated, with marked emphasis, “to ameliorate it. In a word, if Mrs. Fitzherbert will not consent to this marriage which the King and Ministers have chalked out for me, I am a thoroughly lost, ruined, and degraded man.” * You would therefore bestow an immense reward upon any one who should,—either by fair means or by foul,—-induce or compel Mrs. Fitzherbert to yield that consent and agree to any rational ar- rangement which you may be enabled to make with regard to herself? I should observe,” added Mea- gles, “that you would undertake to grant such reward on your accession to the throne ?” “By heaven, I should only be too happy!” ex- claimed the Prince. “ But is it possible, Tim, that you have any plan in your head—any scheme——” “ Well, 1 can’t exactly say at present,” inter- rupted Meagles. “I may however think of a pro- ject——” * Ah! I knew you would give me some hope in this respect !” cried the Prince, chuckling at the idea of getting rid of Mrs. Fitzherbert: for remorse or compunction seldom if ever stayed the progress of this bad man’s execrable selfishness. “ What is your plan, Tim ?” he demanded impatiently: “what do you suggest ?” “ Leave me a little time to consider,” responded Meagles, who did not choose to avow at once that he possessed the means ef coercing Mrs. Fitzher - bert at will. “ Have you any other matters to com- municate to me ?—because you may just as well make a clean breast of all your difficulties and em- barrassments while you are about it—and then I may be enabled to judge of the best measures to put you clear, right, and straight again.” “Well, I have something else to communicate,” said the Prince. “The truth is I have seduced a young lady——” “The seduction of a young lady is the heading which must appear to many a chapter in your life, my dear Prince,” interrupted Meagles. “But go I on. You have seduced a young lady—and you are afraid of a row?” “Precisely so,” answered the heir-apparent. “The fair one is a certain Miss Clarendon—Octavia Cla- rendon 4 “ Daughter of a gentleman who is in some way connected with Lord Marchmont ?” said Meagles, inquiringly. “The same,” replied his Royal Highness. “Do you know him ?” “ Only by name,” was the response. “ But isthe affair difficult to manage ?” “You perceive, Tim, that the young lady belongs to a highly respectable family ——” “To an aristocratic family,” interrupted Meagles ; “and therefore, unless she be very proad of having been seduced by you—and unless her father and relations are also very proud that she should have become a Prince’s mistress—this affair presents to our view a phase of no ordinary colour. For lam very certain that out of every hundred aristocratic families, ninety-nine would be charmed and de- lighted to see a wife, a sister, or a daughter publicly pointed out as the mistress of your Royal High- ness.” “Such is no doubt the fact,” observed George: “for the aristoeracy,so haughty and overbearing to the middle and lower classes, is nauseatingly servile and cringing to Royalty. However, we will not waste time in discussing this point. Suffice it for our present purpose that Mr. Clarendon is a man who must be appeased for the dishonour of his daughter.” “Ts he acquainted with the little circumstance ?” inquired Tim. “ Not yet—at least I hope not. time to lose, my dear friend——” “What do you wish to have done?” demanded Meagies. “ A peerage must be obtained for Mr. Claren- don!” was the emphatic response. «The devil !” ejaculated Tim: “ peerages are not picked up in the street — and I don't think that you could very well humble yourself so far to Pitt as to ask him for one.” “¢ No—I would see the Prime Minister dead and damned first,” answered the Prince. “It is of my father that the peerage must be demanded—and it is you who will undertake the mission on my be- half.” “Would you have me go to Windsor to wait upon his Majesty on such a business ?” demanded Meagles, surveying the Prince with the most un- feigned astouishment. “To be sure I would!” ejaculated his Royal Highness. “Surely you have the courage, Tim ?” “T have the courage to face the very devil him- self,” responded Meagles ; “and that is more than enough to enable me to look the King in the countenance. But are you serious ?” “Never more so. You know that half of the Lightfoot certificate which [ have in my posses- sion ?” “To be sure I do,” said Meagles, throwing off with an effort a sensation of uneasiness which sud- denly began to creep over him at the mention of that fragment of the document: for the reader will remember that for some weeks ie had been in the possession of Tim himself, who found it amongst the roll of papers which he purloined from the But there is no 6)(0)(0) (C(O) <S.co