The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 315: what you’re looking at

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

pS I IP LA I A EE LA THE MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. Tee eee 309 eS «J think I said a hundred,” observed Shadbolt coolly: “but at all events we'll make it so.” Out come Madame Angelique’s purse: with a nervous hand she counted down what she con- ceived to be five bank-notes for twenty pounds each—but one happened to be for fifty; though when Mr. Shadbolt reckoned them over with an air of easy indifference, he did not consider it necessary to draw her attention to the little over- sight. <“ And now, ma’am,” he said, “I tell you what must be done. I shall make my report to-mor- row—and it will be to the effect that though there certainly is that looking-glass door of communica- tion, yet that you have given up the business, and you are now devoting yourself altogether to the millinery line. “I shall add too that I contrived to learn that the looking-glass door is to be walled Uu bP] «And so it shall be!’ cried Madame Angelique. ¢ Anything—anything 4 “Don’t be foolish ma’am,” interrupted Mr. Shadbolt, having tossed off his ninth or tenth bumper: “you needn’t do anything of the sort. Only be more careful in future—don’t let that French tailor suffer a soul to pass through his house unless he knows he is all right—pay me a cool hundred every year—and you may go on driving as roaring a trade as ever.” “Then you do really think that for the present there is no danger ?” said Madame Angelique. ‘Not an atom of it, if you follow my advice. Honest Ike Shadbolt is not the man to deceive a lady of your respec generosity, I mean. And now, ma’am, I'll be wishing you good night.” Mr. Shadbolt, having consigned the bank-notes to his pocket, lingered to drink one more glass of wine to the lady’s health—then just one more to his own—then a last one to the highly philanthro- pic sentiment of ‘“ Here’s better luck!” He was then advancing towards the mirror-contrived door with a somewhat unsteady pace, when Madame Angelique said, “Have you really no idea who gave the information to the police? Do you think it was a lady ?” Mr. Shadbolt had in reality no more idea than the man in the moon: but under the influence of the wine and the circumstances, he thought it necessary to appear knowing; and he therefore said, “ Well, ma’am, betwixt you and me and the post, you are not very far wrong.” “ Ah, I see you know more than you have chosen to tell me!” exclaimed Madame Angelique. “Pray be candid #: “Well, you see, ma’am, it would not exactly do for us secret officers to tell everything we do know.” “It was a lady, then!’ cried Madame An- gelique. ‘“ Was it—was it a lady at—at—Bays- water ?” “Well, if you push me into a corner,” an- swered Shadbolt, with a look of tipsy knowing- ness, “it was:’—but let the reader understand well that the fellow was in reality in entire igno- rance respecting the source of that information which had been sent to the Commissioners of Police. He took his departure; and Madame Angelique hastened back to the room where she had left the Duke of Marchmont, Although the matter had ended satisfactorily to a certain extent, and even more so than she had at first dared hope when the terrible term “detective officer’ smote upon her ears,—yet she was still labouring under a con- siderable degree of agitation; and the Duke of Marchmont was instantaneously struck by her appearance. “Something new?” he exclaimed petulantly. “ Misfortunes never come alone: they strike us blow upon blow. But what is it P” Madame Angelique explained everything that had taken place,—not forgetting to add how she had wormed out (as she really believed she had done) the admission from Isaac Shadbolt that it was a lady at Bayswater who had given the infor- mation to the Police Commissioners. This piece of intelligence astonished Marchmont. Indora had given him to understand, when at Oaklands, that there would be no exposure; and this assur- ance he had considered to include an equal excep- tion of Madame Angelique from the wreaking of vengeance. In fact, he had not really dreaded law-proceedings or any such signs of Indora’s wrath at all,—though on this evening of which we are writing, he had suffered Madame Angelique to believe the contrary, simply because he sought to work upon her fears, bend her to his purpose, and induce her to combine with him in some plot against the eastern lady. But from the intelli- gence he had just received, it appeared to be un- questionable that Indora was positively setting herself to work to inflict chastisement upon Madame Angelique. “But how on earth,” he exclaimed, “could In- dora have obtained an insight into the mysteries of your establishment ?” “That is what puzzles and bewilders me,” re- sponded the infamous woman. “Oh! I wish—I wish I had never had anything to do with those orientals !” “You see, my worthy friend,” answered the Duke bitterly, “that we are both of us involved in the most alarming perplexities. Just now you were flattering yourself that Indora did not mean to include yow in her vengeance——”’ She has already begun!” said Madame An- gelique; “and I tremble lest it should not end there.” “End there?” exclaimed Marchmont: “it would be preposterous to indulge in such a hope. I tell you that these eastern women are as vindic- tive as tigresses and as cunning as serpents. We have become the objects of this vengeance and this subtlety si “What is to be done ?” cried Madame Angelique, literally shaking herself in her mingled spite and despair. The Duke looked her hard in the face, and said, “Did you not ask Sagoonah whether she would again serve you? did she not confess that she has some feeling, no matter what, that prompts her to yearn for the ruin of her mistress? and has she not consented to meet you in the forenoon of to- morrow P”’ “Yes, yes —this is true enough,” replied Madame Angelique. “ But what can we do?” “What idea had you in your head,” inquired Marchmont, “ when you asked if she would again assist you ?” “T had no fixed idea—I had not thought of any- nn) (C 0)(0)(0) (C(O) cS co