The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 370: what you’re looking at

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

ANOTHER FIVE THOUSAND GUINEAS © 337 recourse to the meanest and most humiliating of expe- dients. Having despatched the letter by a messenger to Carlton House, he remained at the tavern anxiously waiting for the reply. The emissary was absent for upwards of an hour, at the expiration of which time he returned with a verbal mes- sage to the effect that Lady Sackville would grant Colonel Malpas an interview between three and four o’clock in the afternoon. The colonel was positively astounded at this result of a proceeding adopted in utter desperation. He could scarcely believe that the messenger had delivered the verbal response aright. But the man declared that the message had been given him by a very smart and pretty-looking young damsel having the appearance of a lady’s-maid, and the colonel was therefore reassured against the probability of error. To be brief, he repaired to Carlton House punctually at half-past three o’clock, and a footman immediately intro- duced him into a drawing-room where the brilliant Venetia was awaiting his arrival. Nothing could exceed the cold srandeur and icy magnificence of demeanour with which she received him, and she made him feel that she really regarded him as a wretched worm whom she forbore from trampling underfoot merely because there was a way in which she could make him serviceable. The interview lasted for nearly an hour, during which Venetia explained her views to Colonel Malpas, offering him a certain private mission to which she proposed to attach a liberal remuneration, with a promise that if it were carried out successfully she would consider what more could be done in the colonel’s behalf. As a matter of course he cheerfully accepted the mission thus offered him, and in terms of grovelling adulation did he express his gratitude. Venetia listened to him with superb disdain, for even while she was thus giving him the means of subsistence she made him feel that it was very far from being for his own sake, but simply because there were circumstances at the moment which thus accidentally enabled her to make use of him as a tool or instrument in the furtherance of her Own mysterious purposes. Having received a sum of money for his travelling- expenses and immediate wants, Colonel Malpas took his CoOnniclooolks (C(O)