The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 285: what you’re looking at

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

256 ~~ REYNOLDS’ WORKS ably well. ‘‘ But my brother the prince must recollect that he is in a very flourishing condition. What would he have been but for his marriage? ”’ ‘True, your Royal Highness,” said the court official. ‘But here ’’ — referring to the paper before him — “ we have about six thousand pounds transmitted to your Royal Highness in the course of only eight or nine months. The first thousand — ”’ ‘‘T have already explained to your lordship,’’ answered the grand duke, “ that it was expended in putting a slate roof upon my palace instead of the wretched old thatch that for years had been rotting there.”’ “But this second thousand?” said the court official inquiringly. “ Why, you know, my lord,’’ responded the grand duke, ‘“that this sum went for a very delicate purpose, the re- demption of my plate, — you know what I mean. If I might indulge in a pleasantry, I think it is what you English would call its release from the guardianship of an uncle.”’ The reigning grand duke indulged in a loud ‘“* Ha! ha! ha!.”’ And so the court official, a parasite even to a pauper, so long as this pauper was a royal one, considered himself compelled to echo it distantly with a tittering ‘‘ He! he! he! ”’ ‘Well, your Royal Highness,” he said, “‘ we will not go into any further details relative to past money matters, but your august brother the prince ventures through me to suggest that your Royal Highness might surround your- self with a better class of followers — ”’ ‘“‘ Indeed!’ interrupted the grand duke, haughtily, “I should advise my august brother to keep such counsel to himself. When he was in Germany, before he contracted his marriage, he was intimate with Gumbinnen, smoked cigars with Kadger, drank beer with Frumpenhausen, and delighted in a dish of sour-crout with Wronki. They are all very good fellows in their way, well-conducted and respectable. They have just gone to a grand entertainment at the young Duke of Marchmont’s. But, ah, what is this noise? “Some street disturbance, no doubt,” said the court official. The grand duke and his visitor hastened to the window, ’ CONIIE IOC <S (E(©)