The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 320: what you’re looking at

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

CHRISTIAN’S FIRST DAY 289 himself to be in the position of one who could dictate and command. ‘“ And I have frankly told your Grace,”’ replied Stanhope, “that I have not twelve thousand shillings at this present moment.”’ “True,” remarked the duke, curtly. ‘‘ You admit, therefore, that you are in my power? ”’ ‘So completely in your Grace’s power that if you expose me to the world, I have no alternative but to place the muzzle of a pistol in my mouth and pull the trigger valiantly, or else take a drop of prussic acid and yield up my life as if it were a lightning-flash passing out of me,”’ and it was in a singular but horrible tone of mingled irony and desperation that the Honourable Mr. Stanhope thus spoke. “T have given you to understand,’’ replied the duke, “that to neither of these agreeable alternatives need you have recourse, provided — ”’ ‘“‘ Ah, — provided!” ejaculated Stanhope. ‘“‘ Then there is a condition — a condition beyond the mere one of giving your Grace some security for eventual payment? But, my lord, is it possible that this condition is of such a character that you dare not look me in the face while explaining it, and that for this reason you have brought me into a room where the darkness is as deep as that of the grave? ”’ ‘‘ Would you have me give you credit for being overnice and particular? ’’ asked the duke, in a somewhat sneering tone. ‘‘ Now, look you, Mr. Stanhope, you and I have not known each other for much more than a couple of months or so, — ten weeks, at the very outside. It was the duel which first rendered us acquainted — ”’ ‘““It was, my lord. Go on.” “During these ten weeks if indeed our acquaintance has been so long —I have seen quite enough of you, and have learned perhaps still more — ”’ ‘“‘ T can anticipate what your Grace would say,” interrupted Stanhope, coldly, yet somewhat bitterly. ‘‘ You know that I am a gambler, and that already an almost princely fortune has gone into the hands of a set of harpies — Maledictions upon them! the bare thought of it is enough to make a man forswear cards and dice for evermore. You know, too, that I am dissipated, fond of pleasure, having a certain position in society which it were death to lose, having also a certain CONNIELDOO (-) <S (E(O)