The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 329: what you’re looking at

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

298 REYNOLDS’ WORKS observing, ‘‘ There is no necessity for you to leave. On the contrary, I wish you to pay attention to what is about to take place, so that immediately after Mr. Hyde has departed, you may make notes of our conversation. He is a slippery kind of fellow, and I must nail him to his pledges, or else never again shall he represent a pocket-borough of mine.”’ Then, after a brief pause, the duke observed for the informa- tion of his secretary, ‘* This Mr. Hyde, you must know, is a Member of Parliament.”’ The door opened, and the footman announced the visitor in a loud voice. Mr. Fenwick Finnikin Hyde, M.P. for the borough of Viviandale, was a gentleman about forty, of middle height and spare figure, affected in his looks and speech, smirking and obsequious in his manners. He was exquisitely dressed, in a blue surtout coat, a figured silk waistcoat, black pantaloons, and patent leather boots. His cravat was tied in a most unexceptionable manner, a massive gold chain festooned over his waistcoat, and his kid gloves fitted so tightly that he had some difficulty in drawing off the one from the right hand, as with divers bowings and scrapings he extended that same right hand in the evident expectation that it would be taken by the duke, toward whom he advanced with a sort of skipping, mincing gait. He was by no means good-looking, notwithstanding all the pains lavished upon his toilet, the wavy curls of his long dark hair, and the artificial gloss of his whiskers. He was every inch the time-server and the parasite, feeling himself to be dependent upon the breath of the great man to whose pres- ence he was thus summoned, yet endeavouring to carry off the consciousness of his servile condition by a jaunty air of smirking familiarity, which would doubtless impress an inexperienced stranger with the idea that he felt himseli to be on a tolerably friendly if not altogether equal footing with his Grace. But the Duke of Marchmont, bowing distantly, affected not to perceive Fenwick Finnikin Hyde’s outstretched hand, and coldly motioned to a seat, which that gentleman, en- deavouring to look surprised at this reception, at once took. Then, as he held his well-brushed glossy hat upon his knees, he said, in a weak, affected voice, ‘‘ Glad to see your Grace looking so well. Never saw your Grace looking better. Quite astonishing, ’pon my honour.” CORNICLIOOKS (E(0)