The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 195: what you’re looking at

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- little the worse for wear. “Good God, that I should have made you weep!” cried Christian: and in the excitement, the confusion, and the hurry of his own thoughts and feelings, he seized her small fair hand. It was however instantaneously withdrawn—but not in anger; for the beauteous Isabella flung upon him, through the dimness of her tears, a look which eloquently proclaimed that she compre- hended all his generous sympathy and was grate- ful for it. Then hastily wiping away those tears, she hurried from the room. At the same moment there was a double knock at the door; and Chris- tian retraced his way to his own room. He was in the midst of painful and bewildering THE MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. 189 ing acid. In a word, this foreign gentleman’s appearance was suflicient to mystify Christian con- siderably as to who or what he could possibly be. Without speaking a word, the Chevalier Gum- binnen drew forth a somewhat soiled pocket-book : and producing thence a dirty scrap of paper, dis- played it before Christian’s eyes,—at the same time fixing upon him a look of knowingness father than of well-bred inquiry. It was our hero’s own advertisement, cut out of the Times; he therefore hastened to declare that it was so, and that he was the C. A. therein specified. Still the Che- valier maintained a profound silence : so that Christian was at a loss whether to conclude that conjectures ag to the nature of that mystery which | his visitor was altogether dumb, or that he was enveloped the lovely Isabella, and which seemed to be associated with so much cruel coercion and un- natural tyranny,—when the trull of a servant-girl knocked at his door, and throwing it open, said, “Here’s a genelman which wants you, Mr. Ash- ton: and this is his card.” Our hero took the card, and found that it re- presented the aristocratic though perhaps not very euphonious name of the Chevalier Gumbinnen. The owner of this name had been left standing in the passage by the maid-of-all-work ; and Chris- tian, on hurrying forth, was horrified to perceive merely unable to comprehend the English lan- guage. Again however was the Chevaiier’s hand plunged into the pocket-bock ; and now he drew forth a larger card than his own, and which he presented to our hero. It was not the cleanest in the world: but nevertheless, whatsoever it had on it was perfectiy visible. On the upper part there was a sovereign crown; and under it there was the name of the Duke of Maxe-Stolburg.Quotha. The address in the right hand corner was Mivart’s Hotel. Here was grandeur! It was evidently a reign- a mop on his visitor’s right hand, and a pail of |}ing Duke who was sending for Christian; and dirty water under his very nose. He flung a hasty reproach at the girl, and began confounding himself in excuses to the Chevalier,—who received them all with a sedate silence and a sort of inane mystification of look—which indeed was by no means astonishing, when it comes to be consi- dered that the Chevalier Gumbinnen understood not a syllable of English. Christian hastily led the way into bis own sitting-room—handed the Chevalier a chair—and awaited explanations, although he had no doubt in his own mind that the visit bore reference to the advertisement in the newspaper. The Chevalier Gumbinnen was a little man, with a somewhat dirty look. He had very red hair, huge moustaches, and small eyes of pinkish blue. There certainly was nothing aristocratic in his appearance, whatever there might be in his name: neither was there any particular freshness in his costume. On the contrary, it seemed a It consisted of a blue dress coat with a stand-up collar: it was cut round in front, and thus sloped away into the tails: it had a gredt deal of black braiding about it, and was worn unbuttoned. The waistcoat was white—or rather had been a week back when it first came home from the wash: but it was evident that this article, as well as the Chevalier’s shirt, had not been put on clean in the morning of that particular day. His pantaloons were black, with long stripes of braiding: his hat was of singular shape, and somewhat deficient in nap. He wore a profusion of jewellery, which locked very well at the first glance, but perhaps would not have borne the close inspection of a connoiseur in such arti- cles. Indeed, we are very much afraid that if the Chevalier Gumbinnen had sought to raise a Joanupon all the personal property which was in- cluded under this particular head, the pawn- broker would have pronounced the diamonds to be paste, and would have found that the gold chains passed not readily though the ordeal of the test- .doubtless the Chevalier Gumbinnen was some high dignitary attached to the person of his Royal Highness. Such was the conclusion to which our hero naturally came. He looked at the Chevalier ; and the Chevalier looked at him. Did the Chevalier mean to speak ?—or, indeed, could he speak at all? Christian could not help thinking it was rather a strange proceeding to send this silent gentleman on such a business; and he began to feel some- what awkward. The Chevalier however conde- scended presently to relieve him from his embar- rassment: for, taking out a somewhat cumbrous watch—which would doubtless have been consi- dered handsome in the time when pinchbecks were in fashion—he displayed tke dial before Christian’s eyes; and pointing to the hour of four, gave a sort of significant grunt, and then stared for half & minute in the youth’s countenance, to assure himself that the intimation was comprehended. Christian bowed: the Chevalier made a very slight and condescendingly dignified inclination of the head—put on his napless hat—and took his departure. The whole proceeding was singular enough: but Christian understood that he was to call at Mivart’s Hotel to see his Royal Highness, the reigning Duke of Maxe-Stolburg-Quotha, at four o’clock. It was now @ little past three; and therefore our hero had only just time to dress himself in his best apparel and set off to Brook Street, Grosvenor Square. While proceeding thither, his thoughts were divided between Isa- bella Vincent and the business on which he was now bent. He of course imagined that the Duke required an English secretary ; and hence the ap- plication to himself, made through that very in- teresting, intelligent, and enlightening person the Chevalier Gumbinnen. Christian could have wished to remain a week or two longer at Mrs. Chubb’s ere entering upon another situation: but he had his bread to get, and must not throw away a chance. Besides, it suddenly occurred to him that _—_—_-- + CE SSS CC OC Cr! OO Nn) (C 0)(0)(0) (C(O) S