The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 344: what you’re looking at

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

eT 308 _- i — trifle recovered from his amazement, he was moving away. But the stilted mountebank who was especially charged with the duty of collecting the coin with which the public generosity was wont to recompense the authors of these splendid entertainments, had his eye upon Christian from the very first moment that he had halted near the group; and the fellow had at once singled him out as the likeliest spectator to drop a silver coin into the basin. He therefore strode after him in some such a manner as that which the fairy tale represents the ogre with the seven-league boots as adopting; and stooping down=apparently at the imminent Mek of falling head foremost and breaking his neck—the mountebank balanced him. self on one stilt and presented the basin. Chris- tian dropped a shilling into it—whereat the mountebank was seized with such a violent ecstasy of delight that he whirled himself round on the one stilt, the other being stretched out behind him in a horizontal direction and skimtning over the hats, caps, and bonnets of the spectators who happened to come within the range of this peculiar feat. “You aré @ perfect gentleman, sir,” said the mountebank, when his achievement was finished: and he bowed low to Christian as he thus spoke. “ Tf you think so,” said our hero with a smile: “you may perhaps answer me a question or two— and { will drop another coin into your basin. 4 “ As many answers 48 you like, sir,” joyously responded the mouutebank, “at that rate :’—and he bent more forward to lear what Christian had to say—placing his hands upon his knees, as- suming a sort of squatting position in the air, but dodging the while to and fro or from side to side with little short steps of his stilts, so as to main- tain his balance: for it requires but a very limited knowledge of the laws of equilibrium and gravita- tion to eunvinece any one of our readers that a gentleman thus perched upon high stilts cannot very conveniently stand perfectly still for three moments at a time, “ Who is that person that plays your drum P” inquired Christian. “ Never mind why I ask— and don’t look round at him, as I do not wish him to see that 1 am speaking of him.” “ He is a poor German devil that we picked up a few months back,’ replied the mountebank ; “and it so happened that we wanted a person to play the drum and the organ ? “The organ ?” said Christian, inquiringly. “Yes—the mouth-organ, to be sure!—and where is there a nobler instrument?” said the mountebank, with a transient air of indignation: but apparently recollecting that another shilling was at stake, he instantaneously recovered his good humour—and having cut a caper to re- lieve his feelings, he again bent down to Christian. ‘ Yes,” he continued, ‘‘ we picked up that poor devil some months ago, and as our pardner which used to beat the drum and play the organ, had gone into a little temporary retirement —only six months at the mill, for mistaking another gentleman’s pocket for his own during the bitter cold weather of March last, when a man was of course glad to put his hand any wheres to keep it warm s * Well, well,” interrupted Christian; “ you took this German to supply his place P” THE MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. i ee a I cE ‘* Exactly so, sir; and in all my life I never did see such a feller to eat whatever comes in his way, and to get blazing drunk whenever he bas the op- portunity. You should hear him in his cups— what gammon he talks about Grand Dukes and Grooms of the Stole, and so on; and he says too that he has been a Baron and was ealled ‘ my lord,’ that he has dined with our Queen and sat hob-and-nob with Prince Halbert. Of course it’s all lies -———” “And what name does he bear?” asked Chris- tian, who did not think it worth while to inform the mountebank that so far from its being all false, it was perfectly consistent with truth. “Namer” ejaculated the mountebank con- temptuously: “ you never heard such & name as he gave himself—but it was an uncommon true one, I can tell you, sir, when he came amongst us. What do you think of Raggidbak as a name to go to bed with P” “ A very strange one indeed,” answered Chris- tian: and having dropped the promised extra shilling into the basin, he hurried away; for he saw that Baron Rageidbak was looking towards him over the top of the mouth-organ. On res gaining his hotel, our hero made some little altera- tions in his toilet, and at about five o’clock de- scended to the coffee-room to give orders in respect to his dinner. At the moment he entered tie only person who was there was that tall handsome young gentleman of about three-and-twenty, whom he had seen at breakfast in the morning, and whose appearance had so much interested him. This ins dividual was sitting at a table, on which his elbows rested, and his face was buried in his hands: he was evidently absorbed in the deepest thought — and Christian, judgiug from the melancholy air which he had observed in the morning, fancied that it was a reverie of no very pleasing nature. Our young hero sate down and took up a newspaper— when all of a sudden the interesting stranger at the other table smote his clenched fist upon the board, giving unconscious utterance to some ejacu- lation expressive of the agitated condition of his mind, It was evident that he had not noticed Christian’s presence—or else that his mind was so completely abstracted he would have done the same if a dozen persons had been in the room. Suddenly perceiving our hero, his countenance became crim- son—he felt deeply ashamed of himself—and he began to falter forth an apology for his singular behaviour. “Pray do not consider any excuse necessary,” interrupted Christian, with so much gentle kind- ness of manner that he at once made a favourable impression upon the stranger. “I truly regret,” added our hero, “that you should have so much cause for affliction.” The stranger gave no immediate response—but surveyed Christian with the air of one who sought to ascertain whether he would make a friend who might merit his confidence, and who would accept it with a kind and sympathizing feeling: for his mind was no doubt in that state when such friend- ship would prove most truly welcome. Christian comprehended what was thus passing in his thoughts ; but he feared to be obtrusive, and therefore sai! nothing. By his looks however he seemed to invoke that confidence which the af- flicted stranger was evidently anxious to impart. CORNICE OOOKS (CO)