The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 64: what you’re looking at

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

THE LAWYER’S OFFICE 47 Marchmont sat down, rested his elbows on his knees, and buried his face in his hands. He was exerting all his power to tranquillize his mind sufficiently to meet the lawyer and terminate the business. Armytage had far less difficulty in composing his own countenance, for there was now joy in his heart; he was to be rescued from all his embarrassments, and without the dreaded alternative of having to make any revelation whatsoever. _“ Now let us rejoin the lawyer,” said the Duke of March- mont, at length rising from his seat; but as he withdrew his hands from his countenance, Armytage perceived that the traces of a recent convulsing agony remained thereupon. They issued forth together from the room, and Armytage tapped at the door of Mr. Coleman’s private apartment op- posite. This gentleman at once opened that door, and the two passed in. | ‘“ Mr. Coleman,” said the Duke of Marchmont, with an almost preterhuman exertion to maintain his composure, ““my friend Mr. Armytage has consulted me in respect to his affairs; he has enumerated all his liabilities, and I feel inclined to assist him. Of course you yourself will rejoice that the matter is to be thus terminated in a way which will restore your client all the money he has advanced.”’ “Mr. Armytage is of course the best judge of his own affairs, my lord,’ replied Mr. Coleman, with a true profes- sional coldness and gravity, though inwardly he was su- premely annoyed at the turn that circumstances were thus taking. | ‘“T believe, Mr. Coleman,” proceeded the Duke of March- mont, ‘‘ that your own demand upon Mr. Armytage is some seventy thousand pounds, but if you will give me the precise amount, I will at once write you a cheque, and you can hand over to Mr. Armytage the securities which you hold.”’ The lawyer was of course utterly unable to offer any ob- jection to this proceeding, and adding up the amounts, to- gether with the interest and expenses, he passed the paper specifying the total to the Duke of Marchmont. His Grace glanced quickly at the sum, and, painfully anxious to have the business terminated, he took a slip of paper to write the cheque. While he was thus engaged a clerk entered and handed a letter to Mr. Coleman. Neither the duke nor Armytage imagined for a moment that this letter had any CoOnnicloookKs (©)