The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 288: what you’re looking at

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

THE MYSTERIES. . 277 the lady whom he had thus espoused, in spite of the Royal Marriage Act, was a Roman Catholic ! Secondly, his Royal Highness had no doubt provoked the hitter indignation of Mrs. Fitzher- bert by his conduct towards Lady Desborough ; and he not only dreaded “a scene” with his morganatic wife the next time he repaired into her presence, but he likewise trembled lest she should take it into her head to demand a full and com plete recognition before the world, in order to escape in future the possibility of receiving such injurious imputatibns as Eleanor had in the first instance uttered against her during the memorable affair of the preceding evening. All these matters were terribly perplexing to a Prince who hated even the trouble of thinking on anything save pleasure and enjoyment, and who was but little fitted by a life of sensuality and in- dulgence to grapple with a host of embarrassing circumstances. In fact, he could not bear to think for himself: and, knowing moreover that certain { lairs had reached a crisis in which some reso- lute and definite step must be taken, he resolved to summon his universal friend to counsel and assist him. . Ringing the bell by means of the silken cord hanging between the curtains and the wall, he waited impatiently until the French valet, dressed with such nice precision in plain black, responded to the summons. ‘‘ Germain,” said his Royal Highness, “send up immediately to Mr. Meagles’ lodgings with a re- quest that he will come to me as soon as possible.” The valet bowed and retired; and the Prince —fancying, with his natural indolenge, that half of the necessary remedial measures were already accomplished in the mere fact of sending for the individual to whom their execution was to be en- trusted—turned round and fell into a doze. Then that high and mighty personage—the envied of all men,—the adored by all women,— the heir-apparent to the throne of England— snored as loudly, as coarsely, and as discordantly as any peasant: and moreover, this elegant and accomplished individual—this moet polished gen- tleman in Europe—had gone to bed at two in the morning in the most beastly, helpless, and swinish state of intoxication ! O Royalty! how despicable wast thou then! Well, Geerge Prince of Wales enjoyed a com- fortable snooze for nearly an hour, at the expira- tion of which time Mr. Meagles made his appear- ance; and his Royal Highness woke up. “ My dear Tim,” he said, stretching forth his hand to grasp that of his friend, “ come and sit down by the bed-side : for I am anxious to have @ very serious conversatien with you. Indeed, I have sundry revelations to make to you, and divers commissions wherewith to entrust you.” “T am at your service, Prince,” answered Meagles, taking a chair: then, lolling back in the seat and caressing his well-curled auburn whis- kers, he said, “ Between you and me, my illus- trious friend, you look just for all the world as if you had been infernally drunk last night. And yot that could scarcely have been the case, seeing that you gave a grand ball.” “By Jove! but it was the case though, my dear fellow!” exclaimed the Prince. “I was what may be called royally drnnk; and what is worse still, I got drunk by myself, through sheer vexation and annoyance.” “The devil you did!" cried Meagles. “Let us hear how that happened.” “ Yes—I must touch slightly upon it,” said the Prince, in a musing tone: “ because it has reference to the matters on which I am anxious to consult you. Well, you must know that at the early part of the evening Mrs. Fitzherbert took umbrage at something and left the ball- rooms. I sent after her to her own apartments, but she was nowhere to be found. However, it seems that she had retired to a spare bed- chamber not very far from the saloons; inas- much as she suddenly made her appearance from behind the curtains in that chamber, when I and a lady who had been enticed thither by a well- contrived stratagem, were in the midst of a some- what heated conversation together.” “What the deuce! did you meet the lady in the very same room to which Mrs. Fitzherbert had previously retired?” asked Meagles, to whom the explanation was not very clear. “Just so,” answered his Royal Highness. *“ And now, my good friend,” continued the heir- apparent, with some little degree of hesitation and embarrassment, “Iam about to reveal to you precisely the same secret which Mrs. Fitz- herbert in her rage proclaimed to the astonished ears of the lady in question. But this secret, my dear Tim,” added the Prince, emphatically, “ is safe with the lady—for she is a woman of honour —and it must be safe with you also.” “Fear nothing, Prince,” exclaimed Meagles. - You know well enough that I am not likely to betray any confidence which you place in me.” “ Oh! I’m perfectly assured of that, Tim !" cried the Prince: then, sinkirg his voice to a low and solemn whisper, he said, “ The secret which Mrs. Fitzherbert proclaimed last night and which I now reveal to you, is that we are married i ‘“ Married!” ejaculated Meagles, with well- affected astonishment ; for he was already aware of the fact which the Prince of Wales was now confessing to him. “ Hush!” said the heir-apparent: “such a secret ought scarcely to be breathed to the air! Yes, it is true, Tim, that in a moment of weak- ness—folly—madnees—I know not what to call it—I accompanied Mrs. Fitzherbert to the altar. Dazzled by her beauty—burning to possecs her— excited almost to a delirium by the winning arts and seductive wiles which she practised to en- uynare me,—I took that fatal step, believing it to be the only means of obtaining admission to her bed. However, the mischief is done, and cannot be undone: but you can well understand that it has placed me in a cruel dilemma, now that tho King and the Ministers have determined to marry me to the German Princess.” “ And in what manner can I assist yon?” da manded Meagles, inwardly delighted to perceive that matters were now coming to a crisis in which his aid must inevitably be sought and full confidence reposed in him accordingly. -“T have been thinking seriously over my position,” resumed the Prince ; “ and the only avenue of escape which I can discover out of a complete morass of difficulties is to assent to this marriage with Caroline of Brunswick. Steeped to my very eyes in debts—pestered by creditors whose dunning amounts to intolerable insolenoe —in constant danger of having my very carriage and horses seized by a rascally sheriff’s-offi ore ; COMIC OOOKS. Com