The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 80: what you’re looking at

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

BERTRAM VIVIAN 61 Mary drank three glasses of champagne yesterday at din- ner? ”’ “No, nothing of all that,’ answered Lord Clandon. ‘You are a relation of my amiable, beautiful, and accom- plished young aunt — ”’ ‘To be sure I am! ”’ said the old lady, proudly. ‘“‘ It was at my house, your lordship is aware, that his Grace first met Eliza and became enamoured of her.”’ ‘“ T know it,” rejoined Clandon. ‘‘ And being the duchess’s relation, you are of course in her confidence? ”’ ‘““ Ah, there you are wrong, my lord!” exclaimed Mrs. Bailey. ‘“‘ It is this which pains me. Eliza never consults me in anything. Even her very orders to her milliner are given without the least deference to my opinion, and though certainly everything becomes her — ”’ ‘“‘ Well, then, my dear Mrs. Bailey,” continued Hugh, “ if you are not in her Grace’s confidence, you ought to be. Yes, you ought to be,” he added, still more emphatically, “ for there is something going on which no one can understand.”’ “It certainly struck me,” said the old lady, “ that the Honourable George Curzon is paying his addresses to Mary Lomax, but really I do not see that her Grace can interfere. Of course the young man’s intentions are honourable —”’ ‘“My dear Mrs. Bailey,” interrupted Lord Clandon, “ is not this that I mean. A lady of your shrewdness, experi- ence, and penetration,’ he went on to say, in order to flatter the dame and win her over to his purpose, “‘ a lady of your tact and judgment —”’ ‘““T flatter myself that I am not deficient in all that,’’ observed Mrs. Bailey, with a proud elevation of the head, “‘ for I was the first to detect that the turtle-soup was burned yesterday, and that there was no cayenne in the vermicelli.” “Then with such penetration, my dear Mrs. Bailey,” quickly resumed his lordship, “‘ you cannot possibly have failed to notice the extraordinary conduct of my brother Bertram toward the duchess — and I might add, her equally extraordinary conduct toward him. I consult you as a rela- tion of the duchess, as her best and sincerest friend; and if there is anything to be done to bridge the gulf which evi- dently separates my brother from her Grace, if there be any- thing that can place them on a more cordial footing, pray make use of my services.’ Gomichboo <S (EO)