The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 385: what you’re looking at

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

304 REYNOLDS’ WORKS you will know what it means. But mind! he is not to know what the dresses are.”’ “ Decidedly not, my lord,’’ exclaimed the milliner. ‘‘ Your Grace’s commands shall be followed in every respect. Has your Grace any further instructions? ”’ ‘Yes, there is one thing more,’ proceeded the duke. “You will have to spare Lettice Rodney for a short time. I need her services. Do you consent? You know very well that you will be paid handsomely for all that you do to serve me.” “Your Grace can command in my house as well as if it were your own,’ responded Madame Angelique. “Good,” said Marchmont. ‘“ Then I will make my own arrangements with Lettice. You are convinced that she is perfectly trustworthy, that she is one to whom may be con- fided a task of no ordinary importance? Remember, she will be well paid, as you yourself will be — ” ‘““T can rely upon her,’ exclaimed Madame Angelique. ‘‘ Has she not been with me since she was fifteen? Does she not regard me as her own mother? Have I not done every- thing for her? ”’ | ‘To be sure, to be sure!’ ejaculated the duke. “ But I have often wondered what the deuce you do with the girls when they begin to fade away and are wearing out.” ‘“T give them money and send them abroad,” answered the milliner. ‘“‘ Ah, your Grace little thinks how many I have supplied to a house in Paris. Change of air soon brings them around a bit, and they go on well for a few years in France, until at length they get down into the streets and end by dying in the hospitals. But what else can they ex- pect? ” | ‘‘ What else indeed?’’ said the duke, and with this heartless assent to the vile woman’s observation, he rose from his seat. ‘‘ By the bye, my lord,’’ cried Madame Angelique, beckon- ing his Grace toward her with an air of mysterious confidence, “T have found out such an extraordinary thing. One of my spies — and your Grace knows that I always have several upon the lookout — ”’ ‘Well, what is it?’ asked the duke. ‘‘ Something new in the female line? ”’ “ Something new indeed, my lord, if it is possible to get hold of them by any sort of inveigling — ” Eomichooks.cor