The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 284: what you’re looking at

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

RESPECTABILITY 207 been wives who did not come there to meet their hus- bands, and there have been unmarried ladies who did not afterward marry the lovers whom they met there, but who have since been conducted to the altar by credulous ones who little suspected their antecedents. Is not all this true? ”’ ‘“ Very true,” responded Madame Angelique. ‘ And now I see what you are driving at — ”’ ‘““ Stop, let me finish, and we will debate upon the subject. You must be aware, with a little reflection, that in having accommodated so many different ladies and gentlemen you established everlasting claims upon their gratitude, and which claims, my dear madam,” added Shadbolt, significantly, “‘ they will not dare to ignore. I tell you what you must do. Just make out a list of some ten or a dozen of the ladies who are thus indebted to you, so that we may hold a committee of ways and means and vote the amount which each lady is to contribute to our treasury. Then I tell you how we'll manage it. You shall write a sweet pretty little note, pink paper, scented, folded into three-cornered shape, and all that sort of thing, and you will say in each note something to the following effect: ‘Madame Angelique, having retired from business, re- spectfully solicits the earliest convenient settlement of Lady So and So’s account, £474, as per bill delivered. Madame Angelique begs to add that she has placed her outstanding accounts in the hands of Mr. Isaac Shadbolt, who will save her ladyship the trouble of sending to Brixton Hill by personally waiting on her ladyship at So and So Mansion.’ There, what do you think of that?” exclaimed Shadbolt, triumphantly. “‘ None of these ladies owe me anything at all,’’ responded Madame Angelique. ‘‘ They have all paid me.” “TIT know that very well,’ said Shadbolt, ‘‘ and you know equally well that it has nothing to do with the case. You write the billets, let me take them, and you will very soon see if in every instance I do not obtain the money. It any indignation is shown, I shall very soon give the fair ones to understand that it is a bribe for your secrecy in respect to their former doings at your house. In short, it is a genteel and pleasant little mode of extortion which they cannot possibly resist.” CORnnICLOOOKS (CO)