The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 291: what you’re looking at

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

256 THE COURT OF LONDON } “A very unpleasant little adventure,’ observed Lady Letitia, laughing heartily. ‘“T only wish that I had been with your Royal Highness,” said Tim Meagles. ‘‘ That same insolent bagman should not have escaped with a whole skin. But the end of it was, I suppose, that you failed to see Foster altogether? ” ‘Precisely so,’’ answered the prince. “ And now, to make a long story short, I have received a letter from Foster, respectfully apologizing for being too late to meet me the other night at the tavern, but assuring me that he is a ruined man unless he can pay a certain mercantile firm in Wood Street the sum of fourteen thousand five hundred pounds by three o’clock to-morrow. Now, can anything be done, Tim?” inquired the prince, anxiously; “ for I pledge you my royal honour that I know not whence to procure half the amount. My name is already talked about in so scandalous a manner, my immense liabilities are as notorious as they well can be, and my position, in fact, is so extremely disagreeable at this moment, that I would make any sacrifice to be enabled to settle this Foster’s claim. Only conceive, my dear friends,” added the prince, looking first at Meagles and then at the Amazon, — “ only conceive what a terrible exposure it would be if Foster was to become bankrupt, and in his vexation should proclaim me as the cause of his failure! ” | “Can your friend manage it in time, Letitia?” asked Meagles, turning toward the huntress. “As early to-morrow as his Royal Highness may choose to appoint,’ was the lady’s reply. “The fact is this,” resumed Tim, addressing himself to the prince: ‘‘ our Amazonian beauty here has captivated a French marquis — ”’ “No scandal, Meagles! ”’ interrupted the huntress. ‘‘ The Marquis de Saint Croix is a friend of Sir John’s, and in that capacity he has visited at our house. He is one of those noble refugees who have been compelled to seek an asylum in England, to avoid the guillotine in their own country.” ‘Perdition seize those miscreants of French Republi- cans! ’’ ejaculated the Prince of Wales, suddenly becoming much excited. “ Their pestilential doctrines are making vast progress here; but thank God! we possess generals who CORNICLAOO