The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 295: what you’re looking at

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280 THE MYSTERIES. promise most lavishly at the very moment he was least able to perform. “* Well—well,” said Meagles, in a tone of appa- rent indifference; “ we will talk about that another time. Iam now off to Windsor.” Thus speaking, he shook hands with the Prince and took his departure. Se CHAPTER LXXX. THE NEW LIGHT TRACT DISTRIBUTION SOCIETY. We must now inform our readers that when the message which his Royal Highness the Prince of Wales sent up to Jermyn Street, requesting the imme- diate attendance of Mr. Meagies at Carlton House, was delivered to that gentleman, he was sitting at a late breakfast in company with his bosom friend the Amazon. This beautiful, eccentric, and profligate woman was clad in her male garb, as usual; and the early scam- per which she had taken on horseback, left upon her cheeks so ruddy a glow and so rich a bloom of health as to give her the appearance of all the virgin fresh- ness of that youthfulness the plump charms and firm contours of which she had so well preserved. At the moment when the message from the Prince of Wales was delivered in Jermyn Street, Tim Meagles and his lovely companion were ‘enjoying a hearty laugh in anticipation of some capital fun which they had promised themselves that noon: for the Rev. Mr. Nathaniel Sneaksby had presented them with platform tickets for a grand meeting of the New Light Tract Distribution Society, which was to be holden at mid-day precise in a large hall somewhere in the Strand. But the message from the Prince suddenly appeared to put an end to this project, until Meagles suggested that Lady Lade should divert herself by repairing to the meeting where he might join her the moment he had ascertained what his Royal Highness wanted with him. This arrangement being accordingly settled, Meagles ordered his gig—drove the Amazon to the place of assembly—escorted her to a seat upon the platform —and then, taking atemporary leave of her, hastened to Carlton House, where he had that interview with the Prince which has been recorded in the preceding chapter. The body of the hall was crowded to excess. Sanc- timonious-looking gentlemen of middle age, pious elderly ladies, and demure old maids, were the prin- cipal specimens of animated nature: a great number of bald heads and white neckcloths were visible ;— and, amongst the various odours which saluted the olfactory nerves, that of brandy decidedly prevailed over the eau-de-cologne, lavender-water, musk, and perspiration. The platform was very well filled, but not incon- veniently crowded; and its occupants were chiefly of the female sex, consisting of the wives, mothers, sisters, grandmothers, aunts, nieces, and daughters of the reverend gentlemen connected with the New Light Tract Distribution Society. When the Amazon made her appearance, in her jaunty attire and with her riding whip in her hand, those picus ladies elevated their eyes and their hands in an awful manner—while a subdued groan, as if of concentrated bitterness, passed through the assem- blage: but smoothing her shining tresses, and step- ping over the benches with her admirably symmetrical limbs, Lady Letitia wore a bland and affable expres- sion of countenance as she proceeded to settle herselr in a nook where she could hear and see all that was going on, but where she might to some extent escape a degree of observation which it was desirable to avoid even by one of her masculine character and bold disposition. Scarcely had she thus taken a seat which suited her, when the organ began to play: but as the organist, who was of course a member of the Society, had been up all night at a “free-and-easy ” and was now considerably disguised in liquor, he was not over particular as to the accuracy of the harmony which he thus sent forth to the andience. This little circumstance was not however noticed by the great majority of the assembly ; and as for the tipsiness or the individual himself, that is a little secret which was not even suspected, but which we have ventured to record for the behoof of our two hundred thousand readers. The organ had been playing for about five minutes, when a small low door opened at the back of the platform ; and thence came forth six or seven demure, sanctimonious, and mournful-looking gentlemen, amongst whom were the Rey. Mr. Nathaniel Sneaksby and Mr. Ichabod Paxwax. A tremendous clapping of the hands and stamping of the feet instantly commenced throughout the hall: the organ ceased—and when the applause had finished also, Mr. Ichabod Paxwax vociferated at the top of his voice, ‘‘ Christian friends, J beg to move that Brother Sneaksby do take the chair !” The motion, being seconded, was duly carried— and the reverend gentleman took his seat in the pre- sidential chair with as awful a ceremony and as miserable an expression of countenance as if it were the rack or some other frightful engine of torture. For be it remembered that the “saints” always look as wretched and unhappy as possible—just for all the world as if it were a sin to be cheerful, merry, and contented. Renewed applause accompanied the taking of the chair; and when the clapping of hands and stamp- ing of feet had again subsided, the secretary, who delighted in the euphonious name of Gotobed ‘Tump- kins, gave out a hymn. Then the whole audience, alike in the body of the hall and on the platform, rose up—the organ pealed forth the wrong tune—and a thousand voices combined their nasal twangings in such harmony that would have driven Saint Cecilia crazy had she been alive and present to hear it. The hymn, which by the bye was of the Secretary’s own composing, having been brought to a conclusion, —-not, however, without some danger of cracking the Amazon’s ears, unaccustomed as she was to such peculiar melody,—the Rev. Mr. Sneaksby rose and addressed the meeting at great length. : He said that this was the second anniversary of the New Light Tract Distribution Society, and that he was overpowered with feelings of holy ecstacy on finding that such a numerous, respectable, and godly assemblage had met to celebrate theoccasion. The Secretary would presently read his Report, from which interesting document it would appear that several lost sheep had been redeemed from the darkness in which they had long been floundering, and were now amongst the most savourv vessels of the Lord. — —— — ——— OQ | O)(OY6) im So (c@) (Cc)