The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 237: what you’re looking at

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

212 REYNOLDS’ WORKS had acquired previous to the occurrence of those events which had proclaimed the secret of his birth. Thus, for instance, Sir Edgar and Lady Beverley, Sir Frederick and Lady Latham, and Captain Stanley were frequent visitors at Marchmont House; nor must we omit to observe that Sir William Stanley himself, when passing any time in the metropolis, was a welcome guest in Belgrave Square. Lord Octavian Meredith and Zoe still remained abroad, but fre- quently did Christina correspond with her friend, Army- tage’s daughter, who indeed had proved one of the very first to send written congratulations to both herself and her brother on their elevation to a brilliant position. The nuptials of Christian with Isabella Vincent were to take place when six months should have elapsed from the date of the events at Oaklands, and in the meantime the young lovers frequently saw each other. One day a cab drove up to the door of Marchmont House, but the occupant of it would not immediately get out. She — for this occupant was of the feminine gender — was at- tired in her Sunday apparel; she appeared in all the glory of a new silk gown, a very fashionable bonnet, her gold watch and chain, and a pair of lemon-coloured kid gloves. She delivered a message to one of the domestics, which the man forthwith took up to the young duke and Lady Christina Vivian. It was to the effect that Mrs. Macaulay requested permission to pay her most dutiful respects to his Grace and to Lady Christina. The twins at once desired that she should be shown up, and the domestic accordingly proceeded to hand Mrs. Macaulay out of the cab with every demonstration of respect. As she followed the footman through the marble hall and. up the superb staircase, she could not help giving half-audible utterance to the thoughts which were passing in her mind. “ Well,” said the worthy woman, “ this is indeed a palace, and only think that I should have what’s called the entrée of it, and be treated by this powdered and lace-bedizened gentleman ’’—thus alluding to the lackey — “just for all the world as if I myself was a real lady! Ah, what a splendid palace, and what a lodging-house it would make! Why, there must be at least a dozen sets of apartments on the first floors alone! They’d let each at four guineas a week. Four times twelve are forty-eight, — that’s forty- Gomicbdoc gs) (E()