The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 197: what you’re looking at

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

at all. spond. THE MYSTERIES OF THE sovereign, and had a strange-looking retinue. But there was certainly one thing in his favour—that he evidently strove not to throw his adherents into the shade by any super-excellence on the score of his own outfit. The Chevalier Kadger beckoned Christian to ad- vance; and the Chevalier Gumbinnen, acting the part of Lord Chamberlain and Master of the Cere- “monies, presented the youth to the high and mighty Duke of Maxe-Stolburg-Quotha: but though the Chevalier spoke in German, it was nevertheless a sort of satisfaction to our hero’s mind to discover that he had the faculty of speech The youth bowed low to his Royal High- ness, who motioned him to draw still nearer—and then began to converse with him in tolerably good Enelish. “Tt is my purpose to remain about a month in this country,” said the Duke ; “for which period I require the services of a young gentleman to write letters in English for me to those noble and illus- trious personages with whom I may have to corre- Does such a position suit you ?” Christian answered in the affirmative; and the Duke continued speaking. “T shall require your attendance every morning at ten o’clock; and you may consider the hours of occupation to be until five: because, in addition to the management of my English correspondence, you will have to make notes of certain statistical details which I am anxious to obtain, and the sources of which will be duly furnished to you. Have you testimonials ?” Christian produced the one which he had ob- tained from the Duke of Marchmont; and this of course proyed eminently satisfactory. His Royal Highness inquired the amount of salary which Christian expected? This little matter was soon arranged ; and he was informed that Baron Far- thenless, the Privy Purse, would settle with him weekly. The audience now terminated ; and Christian was conducted from the august presence by the Chevalier Kadger, the odour emanating from whose breath and garments had not appeared to affect the olfactory nerves of his ducal master in the slightest degree, although it was particularly strong, and in its combinations none of the most fragrant. But then, Christian thought to himself, the Duke had perhaps grown accustomed to inhale the atmosphere which his Equerry carried about with him; and the old adage says that “use is second nature.” On gaining the ante-chamber, where Baron Raggidbak was again found seated in the arm- chair near the fire, the Chevalier Kadger laid his hand upon Christian’s shoulder; and said, “ Me and de Baron sall drink your one goot health in one bottle of wine—or two bottle, begar !—and you sall stop some minutes for de same.” > “Vare goot!” exclaimed Baron Raggidbak, caressing his beard with one hand while he gave the bell-pull a violent tug with the other. Christian could not of course help tarrying in compliance with the wishes of his aristocratic friends: he accordingly sat down; and in a few moments the waiter made his appearance. “Mine goot mans,’ said Baron Raggidbak, “you sall go for to bring up two bottles of de port and de sherry wines for de present gumpany.” “A bottle cf each, my lord?” said the waiter, COURT. 191 putting his hand up to his head with a half- hesitating, half-reflective air. “ Dat is it,” responded the Baron: but as the waiter still appeared undecided, and hung about the door as if wanting to say something but not exactly liking to do so, the Groom of the Stole placed his hand on Christian’s shoulder, saying, with a certain emphasis, “Dis sall be de yong mans what sall pay for de treat for de present gumpany.” The waiter now suddenly became more cheerful in aspect, and quitted the room with a blithe alacrity. Christian could scarcely believe that he had heard aright. What! his lordship, Baron Raggidbak, Groom of the Stole to a reigning Duke -—and the scarcely less distinguished Chevalier Kadger, Equerry to the same illustrious person- age—condescending to drink at his expense !— and what was more, inviting themselves to do it! For the moment Christian felt as if he were in the midst of a dream: or else—what really did seem more probable—that he was in the midst of hungry adventurers. But he said not a word ; and in a few moments the waiter re-appeared with a decanter of port and another of sherry on a tray, which likewise bore the bill duly made out and receipted,—the wine being charged six shillings a bottle. “ Now, my goot friend,” said Baron Raggidbak, “out wid de monies. Dis am de German fashion of making what you sall call it? Oh! de acquaintance.” Christian produced a sovereign ; and on receiv- ing the change from the waiter, he left half-a- crown lying on the tray for that individual’s own fee—a liberality which procured for him a very low bow. The Chevalier Kadger proceeded to fill the glasses—which himself and Baron Raggidbak showed themselves very good hands at emptying also. Christian drank but little; and his abste- miousness was highly complimented by his two aristocratic friends, who had good reason to be re- joiced at it, inasmuch as there was all the more for themselves. The two decanters were emptied in an inconceivably short space of time; and Baron Raggidbak dropped a hint relative to a second supply: but Christian was anxious to run up to the Regent’s Park and tell his sister that he had obtained another situation —so that he rose to take his departure, wondering infinitely not merely at the conduct of the Groom of the Stole and the Equerry-in-waiting, but also at the entire ap- pearance of the Duke and his retinue. As he was about to issue from the hotel, he was encountered by the same waiter who had brought up the wine, and who was now crossing the hall at the moment. The man paused, and looked at Christian as if he wished to speak to him; and as our young hero himself was anxious to hear some- thing more relative to the personages amongst whom accident had thrown him, he paused likewise. The waiter thereupon said, “Just step into this room, sir.” Christian followed the man, who carefully closed the door; and then said, “I beg your pardon, sir, but as I see that you are aliberal young gentleman, I don’t like you to stand the chance of. being robbed.” “ Robbed?” ejaculated our hero. not that really a Duke ?” “ Why-—is (C(O) KS 6)(0)() CO)