The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 239: what you’re looking at

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

214 REYNOLDS’ WORKS and you, Miss Christina, a lady! But I always thought there was something distinguished about you both, and I said so to Mrs. Wanklin, and to Mrs. Chowley, which keeps the baby-linen warehouse in the Tottenham Court Road. Well, dear me, what strange things do happen in this life! You remember Captain Bluff, my lord? Well, he got pro- moted from a Gravesend steamer to a Margate one, and then he was so high and mighty that he refused to marry Miss Chowley, and so she went into hysterics, while her mother went off to her lawyer. And then there was an action for breach of promise, and I was summoned as a witness to appear before the bigwigs at Westminster Hall. I’m sure I never should have passed through the ordeal if it hadn’t been that I had previously taken a little drop of rum which my new lodger had left in his bottle the night before.”’ | ‘‘ And pray how did it all end? ”’ asked Christian, with a smile. | “ Why, Captain Bluff proved that he had never promised, but had only thrown sheep’s eyes at the young lady. So he left the court triumphant, with a lot of Margate and Rams- gate steamboat captains; and they had a grand dinner at Blackwall, while Mrs. Chowley had to pay all the costs. Ah, it made a hole into the profits of the baby-linen, I can tell you! But dear me, to think that Mr. Redcliffe should have been a lord, after all, and-that since he should have married a queen! So I’ve had a real duke and a real lord living at my house, and all the neighbours look up to me as something very superior indeed.”’ ‘“ And what of your friend Mrs. Sifkin? ’”’ asked Christian, still speaking with a smile at Mrs. Macaulay’s garrulity. ‘Oh, she and me are more at loggerheads than ever,” responded the worthy woman. “ She’s so jealous and envious, you know, and when she hears from the neighbours how I’ve had the honour of being received here to-day, I’m sure it will drive her stark staring mad, if anything in this world can. I hesitated at first whether to come and pay my re- spects, but at last I said to my new servant, says I, ‘Jane, Captain Flasher ’ — that’s my new lodger — ‘Captain Flasher doesn’t dine at home to-day, so you may Just give me an early dinner off his cold beef, — which won’t keep till to-morrow, — and then I’ll prank myself off and go and call at Marchmont House.’ Captain Flasher is a very nice GoOmiGcsdooks (E()