The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 66: what you’re looking at

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

THE MYSTERIES. 5} LL CL LE LLL LE LO ELLE Nin the morning to relieve you from suspense on that head.” “ A thousand thanks !” exclaimed the young noble- man. Bid your messenger wait a few minutes—he shall not return empty-handed.” “You are always generous, my dear Florimel,” said the milliner, with one of her sweetest smiles, “ Shall I offer you a glass of wine?” “ No—I seldom drink anything stronger than coffee or richer than chocolate,” observed the volup- tuary, rising from his seat: then, as he surveyed himself complacently in the mirror over the mantel- piece, he said, “ Verily and truly I do believe that I shall look uncommonly pretty, when dressed in female attire. But who is to preside over my tole lette?—who will arrange my hair?” he demanded, turning abruptly towards the milliner, as the idea flashed to his mind. “TJ am afraid that it will prove imperatively neces- sary for me to enact the part of lady’s-maic,” an- swered Mrs. Brace, laughing. “JT could not desire a more charming cameriste,” said Florimel, passing his hand gently over her some- what buxom cheek—a liberty which the worthy lady did not in the slightest degree resent. The young nobleinan then took his leave, Mrs. Brace attending him as far as the passage leading into the house behind: and when she parted from him, a domestic in handsome livery escorted his lord- ship to the door opening into St. James’s Square. ears CHAPTER XV. THE POCKET-BOOK. WE must now return to Mr. Page, whom we left at the moment when he had succeeded in reaching the George and Blue Boar in safety, after his escape from the dungeon in the eastern district of the metropolis. On gaining his chamber at the tavern, he hastened to examine the pocket-book which had fallen into his possession in so remarkable a manner: for al- though it was now three o’clock in the morning, and the commercial traveller was exhausted with the fatigues of the night, his curiosity was such that he could not retire to rest until he had completely gra- tified it. Fortunately the materials for a fire were already laid in the grate in his bed-room; and applying a light to the faggot whereon the coal was piled up, he soon created a blaze that imparted a genial glow to his frame, which a few moments before was shivering from head to foot. Seating himself in a chair drawn close to the com- fortable hearth, Mr. Page proceeded to the inspection of the pocket-book. It was old—very old,—stained with grease in several places, and worn away at the edges. The strap, or fastening, was torn off; and it was tied round with a riband so faded and dirty that it was impossible to conjecture of what colour it had originally been. Carefully laying the pocket-book open upon the table, the commercial traveller found that it con- tained several papers, very much soiled, worn, and dingy ;—and these he examined one after another. The first appeared to be a small packet, enclosing something soft and elastic to the touch; and on un- folding the two or three pieces of stained and moul- dering paper in which the contents were wrapped, Page drew forth a long tress of hair. Though the dust had penetrated to this relic, which was neatly braided, it was nevertheless easy to perceive that the hair was of the darkest hue, and that it was soft as silk; and when the commercial traveller unrolled it carefully in his hands, it measured upwards of two feet in length. Yes—the jetty hue and the velvet softness remained to that hair: but the shining glos- siness, which the idea inevitably associated with such a tress, had been dimmed and deadened by the hand of Time! Having contemplated for several minutes that relic which appeared to tell of the loves and hopes of fond hearts in by-gone and better days, the commercial traveller minutely examined the papers which had enveloped it; and on the innermost one he at length succeeded in decyphering the following words, which the lapse of long, long years had all but obliterated :— “ Hannah Lightfoot, her hair. St. James's Street. December, 1756. For her well-beloved.” Page started with surprise: for it will be remem- bered that on the evening when we first introduced him to our readers, in the commercial room at the George and Blue Boar, he related an anecdote, or rather alluded to arumour, in which the names of George III and Hannah Lightfoot were coupled. The discovery of this tress, which had no doubt belonged to the beautifu. Quakeress of former times, served therefore to give a sharper zest to a curiosity already powerfully excited; and having restored the hair to its several enveiopes, he lost no time in ex- amining the next paper which he took from the pocket-book. This was buta mere scrap—and, on minutely scru- tinizing it, the commercial traveller discovered that if was a memorandum one half of which was want- ing. It seemed as if the fold where the paper was doubled up, had so completely worn away that the document had parted in two, one portion whereof Page now heldin nis hand. But where was the other moiety? Vainly did he search amongst the contents ot the pocket-book: the missing half was not there! Disappointed and vexed, Page now addressed himself to the task of decyphering the writing on the piece that remained: and after some degree of troubie,—for the traces of the ink were so deadened py time that they appeared only ofa dingy brown in some parts and ofa light dirty yellow in others. while the paper itself was so discoloured and brittle that 1t seemed as if it had been scorched at the fire,—the commercial traveller succeeded in mak- ing out the following fragment, written in a bold masculine hand :— . * Take notice, all ye whom it men, by these presents, that I Wales, do hereby declare anda and solemnly consider to be my heayen and before God, the lik Lightfoot, whom I sincerely, te all my heart and with all my so tenderly, and devotedly loveth heart and all her soul: and kno it may concern, that I do solem myself, before God and in the si when the will of the Almighty august and well-beloved father assent and most gracious permi of my marriage with the under or, in case of perseverance in th grieyes me,—then, on my acces UNIVERSITY OF COC AOQRKS COM