The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 328: what you’re looking at

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

THE MILLINER AND THE DUKE 297 chance there was of any fresh appeals being made to his own purse. “Your Grace is probably aware,’ replied Armytage, “ that when Lord Octavian Meredith married my daughter I settled upon her the sum of sixty thousand pounds, and I further agreed to allow Meredith a thousand a year for his own pocket-money. Well, my lord, before Zoe went abroad she executed a power of attorney, enabling me to manage her finances for her, so that Lord Octavian should be supplied with a sufficiency to maintain the establishment in the Re- gent's Park, and I was to remit such sums as Zoe might require for her own expenses.” _“ And you do not mean me to understand,” said the duke, in a deep tone of anxiety, ‘‘ that you have made away with your daughter’s money? ”’ A moan from the lips of the wretched Armytage conveyed the response. Marchmont was indeed profoundly shocked, for he was at once smitten with the dread that exactions far sreater than those previously made, great though these al- ready were, would be sooner or later attempted in respect to his own purse. : “Yes, it is but too true,’ continued Armytage, in a scarcely audible voice. ‘“‘ The rascality of that man Preston was an ominous date for me. Down to that period every- thing had gone well, whatsoever I touched seemed to turn into gold; but since then everything has gone wrong, the money, aS you just now expressed it, has melted away ten thousand times faster than ever it was previously made or got. Or perhaps I myself have speculated more recklessly, more desperately. And yet how could it be otherwise? I sought to repair the terrible losses I sustained — ”’ ‘And your daughter’s money is all gone, absolutely gone?” inquired Marchmont, still incredulous in respect to so colossal an evil. ‘Yes, gone, gone!’ responded Armytage, and again he groaned in bitterness. ‘‘ Now your Grace can understand why I am so desponding at times, and wherefore I am haunted with such fearful apprehensions. If ruin overtakes me, it will not be ruin for myself alone, but ruin for Zoe, ruin for her husband — ruin therefore for all three.”’ “And do you really anticipate that this last nea of yours may turn out wrong? ”’ EOMINIGIOOKS (CO)