The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 383: what you’re looking at

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

352 REYNOLDS’ WORKS sant, ‘‘ but I have some business of importance to discuss with you. Shall I return presently? ”’ ‘“ By no means, my lord,’ answered Madame Angelique, in a most gracious manner, for she doubtless well knew that the duke’s gold would indemnify her well for any little inconvenience she might experience on the score of the deli- cacies of the supper-table getting cold. ‘‘ And it just happens,” said the discreet and obsequious M. Bertin, “ that I have a couple of letters to write — ”’ “Which need not take you more than a quarter of an hour,”’ observed the duke, thus indicating the interval that he wished the tailor to remain absent from the milliner’s boudoir. M. Bertin bowed and withdrew, but so far from returning into his own house, or having any letters at all to write, he merely lounged away the prescribed quarter of an hour in an adjoining room. Meanwhile let us see what took place between the Duke of Marchmont and Madame Angelique. ‘““T believe, my excellent friend,’ said his Grace, that you make all my wife’s dresses? ”’ ‘1 have for some years enjoyed the honour of her Grace’s patronage,’ was the milliner’s response. ‘‘ And mine, too, for that matter,’”’ exclaimed the duke, withalaugh. ‘“ But joking apart, have you made any dresses for her Grace recently? ”’ “At this very moment, my lord,’”’ answered Madame Angelique, ‘‘ I have three or four in hand for the Duchess of Marchmont.”’ ‘“‘ Good,”’ ejaculated the duke. ‘‘ Of course you can make duplicates? ” ‘“‘ Make duplicates, my lord,” cried the milliner, with a most genuine amazement. “To be sure. Why not?” ‘Oh, of course, if your Grace wishes it, I could make a dozen of precisely the same sort.”’ ‘“Never mind the dozen,’’ rejoined Marchmont; “a duplicate of each will answer all my purpose. But recollect, the work must be so well done and the resemblances so exact that her Grace’s own maid, if appealed to upon the subject, could not possibly suspect that there were duplicates of her mistress’s raiment.” ‘‘ All this can be done, my lord,’’ replied Madame Angel- ique, “‘ and without for a single moment attempting to pry Gomicbooks (E(0)