The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 240: what you’re looking at

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

MORE EXPLANATIONS 215 man, and doesn’t think of locking up the tea-caddy or de- canting his own wine, or any meanness of that sort. Ah, my lord, you remember those odious Johnsons, who had my second floor? Well, they’ve actually gone to live with Mrs. Sifkin, and I’m so glad of it. It’s almost the worst punishment I could wish the woman for all her slander and bad conduct toward myself. They’ll punish her with their meanness, I’Il be bound.” In this manner did Mrs. Macaulay rattle on until the young duke and Lady Christina Vivian began to get tired of her gossip, — when they gave her luncheon; and she shortly afterward took her departure, bearing with her several presents which the twins made her. On returning to her own abode, she purposely got up a wrangle with the cabman in respect to the amount of the fare, in order that she might have an opportunity of reminding him over and over again that she had been to Marchmont House and back. Her object was thus to proclaim the fact not merely for the immediate behoof of her neighbours, but likewise for that of passers-by, and when she had said the same thing in a very loud voice a dozen times over, she ended by paying the cab- man his full demand, with sixpence extra, —a piece of generosity on her part which must be taken as a proof of the excellent humour into which her visit had put her. A couple of days after the visit of Mrs. Macaulay, the young Duke of Marchmont was favoured with the company of some other old acquaintances. It was about two o’clock when three individuals, of unmistakable foreign aspect, presented themselves at the entrance of the mansion in Belgrave Square. Their raiment was not remarkable for any of those attractions which constitute ‘‘ fashion ’’ in respect to the masculine garb. On the contrary, it seemed as if the Holywell Street of some Continental city might be referred to as the source whence emanated the garments of those three personages. Truth compels us to declare that they looked as if they were the most devoted disciples of the Genius of Seediness. As for linen, an exceeding mali- clousness might be inclined to represent that they wore none at all, though a more charitable surmise would only go to the extent that it was too dirty to be displayed. Their coats were buttoned completely up to their throats, and neither inside their stocks of rusty black nor the sleeves of COnnICLOOOKS (S©)