The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 278: what you’re looking at

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

CHAPTER XX LAST SCENE WITH THE GERMANS THE week which was to be passed at Oaklands by the young Duke of Marchmont, his sister, and their guests had expired, and the twins returned to London. The day fixed for the nuptials of our young hero and Isabella was close at hand, but before we come to that point of our story, there is an incident to relate. It was the day before the one that was to render Christian so supremely happy, and at about two o’clock in the after- noon, when, as he was seated in the drawing-room, a footman entered to announce that the three noblemen who some little while back visited his Grace had called to solicit another audience. The footman, making sure that the Duke of Marchmont would receive them, had already ushered them as far as the outer drawing-room, and he now stood upon the threshold, holding the door half-open. ‘‘ Tell those persons,” said the young duke, “ that I am engaged. I decline to see them.”’ ‘““'Vare goot! ’’ exclaimed the Chevalier Gumbinnen, now pushing past the footman into Christian’s presence. ‘‘ His Grace he sall say be by no means engaged, and his lordship he vell inclined to see his vare goot friends what sall be for loving him so vell.”’ The lord chamberlain of that high and mighty potentate, the Grand Duke of Maxe-Stolburg-Quotha, looked, if pos- sible, more seedy than ever, and brought with him his accus- tomed odour of raw onions, strong cubas, and intense per- spiration. He was followed by the Chevalier Kadger, who kept his right arm most mysteriously held to his side, the real truth being that there was under the armpit a rent which would have looked most unseemly when about the person 249 & CONnNICLOOOKS (S©)