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.

THE PEARLS ai) possible circumstances could Lady Sackville dream of selling herself to the Marquis of Leveson.”’ ‘“ We shall see,’’ said the nobleman, with a low bow. ‘“ Yes, we shall see,’’ answered Venetia, with a cold and reserved salutation. The Marquis of Leveson then took his departure, well pleased with the result of his interview, and confident of beholding the success of his extraordinary proceeding at no very distant date. Immediately on his return to Albemarle Street he sent his confidential valet Brockman in search of Captain Tash, and in the course of the day the redoubtable officer was dis- covered in the act of chastising, or what he called “‘ ad- ministering the bastinado ”’ to the keeper of an eating-house for having kept him waiting five minutes past the hour at which his dinner was ordered to be ready. The man Robin had shrunk into a corner of the room, where he was endeav- ouring to contract himself into as small a space as possible; and as for the eating-house keeper himself, he was receiving the captain’s blows with as much meekness as possible, seeing that the gallant officer, who for some months past had been in possession of ample funds, was one of his best cus- tomers. The entrance of Brockman put an end to the scene, and Captain Tash, followed by his man Robin, hastened to accompany the valet to Albemarle Street. The captain was there introduced into Leveson House, while Robin remained standing bolt upright against a lamp-post at a little distance. ‘““Now, my good fellow,’ said the marquis, when the captain and he were alone together, ‘‘ I wish you to do me a service, in which there is money to be earned. I need not ask whether you are acquainted with Lord and Lady Sack- ville, for well do I remember the part which you played in their behalf at Colonel Malpas’s house a couple of months ago. What I require you to do is to throw yourself in Lord Sackville’s way, to insinuate yourself into his confidence, to obtain a hold upon him, to make yourself necessary to him, to lead him into all kinds of pleasures and dissipations, to induce him to gamble, — in a word, to plunge him into every species of extravagance. Find out jewellers, horse- dealers, and all kinds of persons who will give him credit, but no bill-discounters to lend him money to pay the liabili- ties which he may thus contract. I wish you, Captain Tash,” GomiGdooks (E(0)