The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 113: what you’re looking at

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98 fust left half-a-dozen good fellows in the banquetting- room—and you shall join us. We intend to keep it up till three in the morning, and shall put your ser- vices in requisition for the curagoa-punch. Come!” “Your Royal Highness will excuse me this even- ing,” said Meagles, who for the first time in his life felt indisposed to mix in conviviality. “Ah! I presume you have sonic little love-affair in hand,” exclaimed the royal voluptuary. “ Well—I Wish you success. Let me see you to-morrow.” And having shaken hands with his friend, the Prince returned to his companions in the banquetting- room, where he passed tbe greater portion of the night in dissipation: but during the many hours that thus elapsed, the heartless miscreant never once bestowed another thought upon the Fosters ! Tim Meagles retired to his own lodgings in a pen- sive mood, the image of the orphan Rose being uppermost in his mind. : But the reader will have observed that, during his interview with the Prince, he never once alluded to ber, nor even intimated that there was euch a being in existence ! CHAPTER XXVIIL TERRIBLE AND STRANGE REVELATIONS We must now retur: to Mr. Page, whom we shall find seated at the breakfast-table with his bride, at their lodgings in Southwark, the morning after the wedding-day. Julia was dressed in a new stuff gewn, and wore a neat cap—had her hair nicely arranged—and al- fogetuer appeared rather attractive, us she did the onours of the morning meal to her husband. Upon this individual’s countenance there was an expression of satisfaction which indicated that he was very far from repenting of his matrimonial bar- gain; and as he drank his chocolate and discussed his eggs and buttered toast, there seemed to be an air of domestic comfort about him, proving how readily he had cast off his bachelor habits and assumed those of a man who enjoys his own fire- side. When breakfast was over, and the servant-girl of the house had cleared away the things, Mr. Page drew his chair closer to his wife; and producing the pocket-book from the bosom of his dressing-gown, he said, with a cunning smile, “I suppose you know thie, Julia t” “ Yes—it belonged to my father,” she replied. “ [ have often seen him poring over the papers it con- tains—and he has read most of them to mea great many times” “Then you know all about the matters they re fer to remarked Page, interrogatively. “Most of them, no doubt,” returned the young woman. “ Gut how came you by the pocket- book ¢” Your father gave it to me in his dying moments. He could barely gasp forth s few words,” continned Page: “and those were scarcely intelligible. Let me see—I think I can recollect them exactly. He aid, * Zuhe that pocket-book——tell Julia —-Oh ! d am goitg-—My God! mercy — mercy—- Hannah——Julia _—Oh ! pardon-——merey—~— vardon’ And then he expired.” “ Ab! ‘he was touched with remorse on his death ° ‘et « @ “ese ecrm e ° « 7 queerge a) “eG aE eae: - o cen ee a SSS bed,” observed Julia, a slight humidity appearing upon her eye-lashes: but, hastily wiping .it away, she added, “ He was neither a good brother nor a good father; and I suppose that the way in which he had behaved to his sister, and the manner in which he brought me up, troubled him at last. I was a baby when my mother died; and my father neglected me altogether. When I was able to run alone, I was allowed to paddle about in the gutter from morning to night; and all the education I ever had was got at a charity school.” “ But you speak very well, my dear, considering that you had so little instruction in your infancy,” said Page, chucking her under the chin. “Oh! I was fond of reading once—and then, my father was a very well-educated man, and it was im- possible no$ to glean something from him: for of late yeara—since we settled in that court where he died—he always wanted me to be with him as much as possibla He disliked to be alone.” “You think that his conscience was troubled, Julia tf” said Page, inquiringly. | “T am sure it was,” responded the young woman, emphatically. “But it’s not worth while for me to have any particular secrets from you now, since we are one, as the saying is: and therefore I'll tell you a great many curious things about my father—and also abou: the matters which some of the papers in that pocket-book refer to.” “Just what I want! exclaimed Page, drawing his chair etill] closer to the one which his wife occu- pied. “It is snowing fast,” be continued, glancing over his shoulder at the window ; “and we will have a comfortable chat togethes for an hour ortwoa If it clears up presently, I will take you out shopping ; and then we can have a nice lite dinner at a tavern, But all this is on condition that you epeak unre- eervedly, and tell me everything you know. Besides, it will be to your advantage as well as mine—for we may make money by these papers.” “So much the better,” observed Julia. “In the first place, then, I must inform you that my father was skilied in ohemistry above all things. He was acquainted with many wonderful secrets in that branch, and could compound poisons of the most deadly nature. Oh! my father was a terrible man, though I say it!” she added, with an unaflected shuddering. “Indeed! But go on,” exclaimed Page: “you are not answerable for any of his sins, you know.” “ Thank Ged, I am not!” cried the young woman energetically. “My life has not been very regular, I confess:—but such things as he has done——no, no—never f* “Don’t vex and annoy yourself, Julia,” said the commercial traveller, soothingly. “I am dying with impatience te hear what your father did. Pray go on.” : “First let us speak of his chemical knowledge,” continued Mra. Page, her excitement almost instan- taneously passing away—for she was naturally of a cold and imperturbable disposition. \* No man was more expert in that branch than him. He used to eompound drugs which preduced abortion with ease and never failed in their effects; and all the old mid- wives in London patronised him.” “God bless my soal—how shocking?” exclaimed Page, involuntarily. “Tt is as I tell you,” saidJulia. “One woman in vartioulat—-« Mra Lindley, who has a large esta- GOMIGIOO SS co