The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 360: what you’re looking at

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

304 —— ~~ -_—~ — aeele apartment—a request which the discom- fitted Gold Stick obeyed with considerable alacrity ; for he felt by no means comfortable with so many eyes fixed wonderingly and scrutinizingly upon him. The Grand Duke of Maxe-Stolburg-Quotha likewise accompanied the Prince; and in a few minutes the three were alone together in another apartment. ‘hen Count Frumpenhausen made a clean breast of it and revealed everything. It appeared that a German valet who had attended Prince Albert to this country when he came to espouse the British Queen, was a near relative of the Chevalier Kadger; and when the Grand Duke’s retinue were deliberating at Mivart’s Hotel how they should indemnify themselves for their exclusion from the Palace, the Chevalier had resolved to seek the counsel and succour of his relative the valet: for he had an idea floating in | his ingenious mind that through such assistance himself and his fellow-retainers in the ducal ser- vice might at least obtain a substantial supper within the palace-walls. He accordingly sped to his kinsman, who at first expressed his utter in- ability to do anything for him: but he presently recollected that a guest who had been seized with a sudden indisposition, had departed privately, leaving his domino behind him in an ante-room to which he had retired on first experiencing that sickness. The valet procured the domino, and gave it to the Cheyalier Kadger,—strictly enjoin- ing him to use it for himself alone, and by no means to transfer it to any of his comrades. the Cheyalier was resolved to prove faithful in every respect to his fellow-retainers; and on his return to Mivart’s, they all sped off on foot toge- ther to Buckingham Palace. Being known as the Grand Duke’s retainers, they easily obtained admission to an ante-chamber, while the Chevalier Kadger kept the domino compactly folded under his coat. When the ante-chamber was gained, he put on the domino, and had no difficulty in gliding into the saloons where the company were assem- bled: but he had a keen nose for the refreshments, and speedily making his way to the supper-room, he banqueted to his heart’s content. The second wearer of the domino was Count Wronki, the Duke’s Lord Steward: the third was the Chevalier Gumbinnen, the Duke’s Lord Chamberlain: the fourth was General Himmelspinken, the Master of the Horse: the fifth was Herr Humbogh, the ducal Privy Seal; and the sixth, as the reader is aware, was the Count Frumpenhausen, the Gold Stick. But this respectable individual had failed to obtain the supper on account of the most inop- portune presence of the Prince at the time in the refreshment-room; while Baron Farthenless, who was to have been the last wearer of the universal domino, was waiting in hungry expectation until his fellow-retainer Frumpenhausen should return to the ante-room to consign the disguising gar- ment to the said Baron’s shoulders. Such was the revelation made to Prince Albert and the Grand Duke of Maxe-Stolburg-Quotha. Both were exceedingly irate: but Frumpenhausen promised never to offend again ; and it was found more convenient to bestow pardon upon him than by expulsion from his ducal master’s service, to send him adrift in the world to tell the tale of the domino and the suppers. On their way back to Mivart’s, Count Frumpenhausen and Baron ‘plan to take Christina to her own house: But | the tale of her abduction. i concentrated bitterness : a THE MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. Farthenless were exceedingly dejected, miserable, and surly—a state of mind which was by no means mitigated by listening to the complacent terms in which the others eulogized the succulent repast of which they had so luxuriously partaken. We have said that the Duke of Marechmont was a guest at the palace on this occasion : but he de- parted long before the denowement of the adven- ture of the hungry Germans. Indeed, it was scarcely midnight when the Duke stole away from the midst of the brilliant assembly; and entering his carriage, ordered the coachman to drive to the beginning of the street in which Madame An- gelique’s establishment was situated. His Grace was aware that on this particular evening Christina Ashton was to be carried off; and he was deeply anxious to know the result. It was however no part of the infamons Frenechwoman’s she feared that it might be too dangerous—and hence | the concealment of her features with a thick veil, to avoid recognition on the part of the youug damsel at any future time. She had accordingly made an arrangement with the keeper of another den of infamy, but one which was on a far less splendid seale than her own, to receive Christina— tos keep her in close custody—and to haye her ruin effected, so that under the imperious pressure of circumstances she might resign herself to a lite of pollution, and thereby be prevented from re- turning to those friends to whom she might tell Such was the abom- inable conspiracy deyised for the accomplishment of Christina’s ruin; but the reader has seen how providentially it was frustrated by the collision of the two vehicles. The Duke of Marchmont, alighting from his carriage, and dismissing it, proceeded to Madame Angelique’s hoyse. He found the Frenchywoman in her elegantly- furnished apartment, plunged into a dejection from which not even frequent draughts of wine could serye to arouse her, The Duke at once saw that something was wrong: and he was speedily made acquainted with all that had occurred. He gave vent to bitter impreca- tions against the mishap; and then on questioning Madame Angelique more closely as to the personal appearance of the individual who had rescued Christina, he recognised Lord Octavian Meredith. “ Ab !” he exclaimed, “ I have known for a long time that Meredith was deeply in love with this girl—and perhaps she will now fall entirely into his hands.” “And if not,’ responded Madame Angelique, “she will return to the Lady Indora—perhaps she has already returned—and perhaps Indora conjectures that it is I who had the girl carried off. I feel my lord as if troubles were thickening around me af * And I also!” muttered the Duke with deep then he hastened to add aloud, “But we must do something, my dear madam—we are not to be beaten and baiiled in this manner :? “But what on earth caw we doP” asked Madame Angelique, with an air of completest be- wilderment. “ Yegs—what can we do?” said the Duke, almost equally bewildered. “You know that the Lady Indora was already your enemy—you have eta tne CONNIELOOKS (C()