The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 275: what you’re looking at

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

244 REYNOLDS’ WORKS down to eat, but it was with no small degree of bitterness that they partook of the food obtained by money raised from such a source. | Christian rose very early on the following morning, and told his sister that he should renew his inquiries after a place, notwithstanding the disappointments he had already experienced. She replied that she also should go about to solicit work, and begged her brother to return in a few hours to escort her for the purpose. He promised that he would, and he sallied forth. Repairing to a neighbouring coffee- house, he carefully inspected the advertising columns of the newspapers, and his eyes settled upon an announcement to the effect that a young man of intelligence, and who wrote a gentlemanly hand, was required by a nobleman as an amanuensis, or private secretary. Application was to be made at a particular address in Piccadilly. Off set Christian in that direction; we cannot exactly say with hope in his heart, because he had already experienced so many disap- pointments and rebuffs, but at least he was determined not to lose the opportunity for want of following it up. On arriving in Piccadilly and reaching the particular address indicated, hé found that it was a jeweller’s shop. He thought there must be some mistake, but as the number of the house was precisely that specified in the newspaper advertisement, he resolved to inquire. Entering the shop, he addressed himself to one of the serving-men, and on naming his business, was at once informed that it was the proper place at which to apply in the first instance. Then the shopman gave Chris- tian a card, and recommended him to go at once, as there had already been several applicants for the situation. The youth felt that the advice given was somewhat cheer- ing, inasmuch as it appeared to promise that he would not be considered too young for the employment which he sought. He looked at the card, and found that it was that of the Duke of Marchmont, whose residence was in Belgrave Square. Christian had never, to his knowledge, heard the name men- tioned before, and he was stricken with timidity at the thought of appearing as a candidate for a situation with a nobleman of so lofty a rank; but he was not to be deterred by any such feeling from making the attempt, and he was | soon in Belgrave Square. The Duke of Marchmont was at home, and when Christian mentioned his business, one of Eomicbooks.com |