The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 197: what you’re looking at

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

170 REYNOLDS’ WORKS ‘“and I shall come hither at once. My trunk is at an hotel hard by; I will go and send it — ”’ ‘‘ Perhaps, sir,’’ interposed Mrs. Macaulay, as the stranger was advancing to the door, and she spoke in a mild tone of subdued deprecation, as much as to imply that he must not take offence at what she was about to any ‘perhaps you will favour me with a reference? ”’ ‘‘T have none to give. I am acquainted with no one in London; I am a total stranger here. But whatsoever sum in advance you require, you may have,” and as the stranger thus spoke, he drew forth a well-filled purse. ‘That is not exactly, sir, the same thing,”’ observed Mrs. Macaulay, for she thought to herself, ‘‘ Did not the gentle- man with the red hair, who was no gentleman after all, pay me a fortnight in advance, and then manage to run into my debt ten pounds, in spite of all I could do? And when I asked him for a settlement, did he not run away with my plated coffee-pot and six silver spoons?’’ So as the worthy landlady hastily reviewed these circumstances in her past experience, she was resolved to take warning therefrom in her present dealings. “T am not offended,’ replied the stranger, in his mild, gentlemanly voice, “‘ that you should seek guarantees for the respectability of those who take apartments beneath your roof. Your conduct is in itself a guarantee that your house is a respectable one. I tell you again that 1 am a perfect stranger in London, but if you will call at the great bankers’ in the Strand,’’ and he named the firm to which he alluded, ‘‘ they will, I think, give you every satisfactory information. The apartments suit me, and as I have taken the trouble to look at them, and have given you the trouble to show them, I have no inclination to go searching else- where.”’ ‘“*T am very much obliged, sir,’”’ answered Mrs. Macaulay, now cheering up once more; ‘“‘ such a reference will be highly satisfactory. What name, if you please, sir? ”’ ‘‘Make your inquiries relative to Mr. Redcliffe,’ rejoined the gentleman, and he thereupon took his departure. Mrs. Macaulay lost not a moment in proceeding to the bankers’, and on putting the inquiry to one of the clerks at the counter, she was referred to a gentleman in an inner room. She did not much like this, and again her spirits EORMIC NOOO KS (E(0)