The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 290: what you’re looking at

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

HE MYOTanres. 273 “s must take that fragment of the certificate | and that I don’t take a year to decile what ought th you, and my illustrious father will be very glad to give you in exchange an undertaking that the necessary patents shall be drawa up without delay, in order to confer the Mr. Clarendon. Come, Tim, you shall be off Windsor this very day, for we may as weil briskly and earnestly to work with « view have these little matters settled as soon as pos- sible. Give me my desk, Tim, and I at once put you in possession of the half of the tificate which is to act Hike a spell father.” Putting a good face upon the matter, and with as much alacrity as if he knew that the docu- ment now required was really in the plece where the Prince had deposited it, Tim Meagies pro- ceeded to convey the handsome writing-desk from the cheffonier on which it stood to the table by the side of the sumptuous couch. His Royal Highness theu drew the long gold chain from beneath his pillow ; and with the key sus- pended thereto he opened the desk. Plunging his hand amidst the papers which filled one of the compartments, the heir-apparent sought for the particuler packet which he re- quired ; and when he could not immediately find ft, he instituted a more careful and less hurried examination into the contents of that division of his desk. But, the packet still continuing in- visible, he repped out sundry impatient osths : while a cloud gathered rapidly upon his brow. “ By heaven! I have lost the papere—the very important papers which I am seeking,” he ob- served, in a tone of bitter vexation. “I am sure that I put them away here——~” “You might have locked them up in some other piace,” suggested Meagles, as if quite inno- cent of any sinister knowledge concerning them. “No; Iam eure they were here / oxclaimed the Prince. “ Perdition! some one has been to my desk,” he added, his entire countenance con- tracting with the rage and alarm that gathered rapidly in his breast. “ Have you lost any papers besides the half of the certifieate ?” demanded Meagies. “ Yes; several,” responded the helr-apparent, clenching hie fists with impotent fary: “ papers of the utmost consequence—proving this very marriage between myself and Mrs. Fivther- bert-———”’ “ That is awkward—very awkward,” observed Meagles, shaking his head in a serious manner. “ Awkward!—'tis positively ruinous,” ex- claimed the Prince. ‘ What shall I do ?—whom can I suspect? The only person at all likely to visit my desk would be Mrs. Fitsherbert her- self ” “ Depend upon it, she is the authoress of this circumstance,” interrupted Tim ; “and if I were you, I would not annoy myself with unpleasant speculatiuns and conjectures. Besides, if an other person should have got hold of those papers, it ean only be for the purpose of selling them back again to you—-—” “True!” ejaculated the Prince. “ But what are we to do now without the fragment of the certificate in Hannah Lightfuot’s affair?” “ Have the goodness to listen to me for a few minutes, Prince,” sald Meagles: “and I dare awear we shall come to a right understanding. Yon know that Iam a man of rather ready wit, to be done when the emergency is so pressing as suarcely ¢o eave a minute for’refiection. Well, I have hit upon two sschemes-———” ‘“Two schemes ?” exclaimed the Prince, in- quiringly. “ Yoes—two schemes,” repeated Meagles: “for are there not two separate affairs to settle? One is to induce Mrs. Fitzherbert to consent to sepa- rate from you—te renounce all pretentions to bo considered your wife—and to agree tosuch terms for her future maintenance as you may be enabled to propose. This, I say, fe one object to gain-— and I am the man to accomplish it !” “ You ?” oried the Prince, with mingled amaze- ment end pleasure. “ But Mrs. Fitaberbort does not-——" And he stopped short suddenly. ‘* Does not like me much better than the devil does holy water, ch ?” exclaimed Meagies. “ That is what your Royal Highness would have said : and why not finish your sentence? I¢ is usclees to stand on ceremony with me. However, I tell you over again that I will undertake to induce the lady, whether sho likes me or net, to assent to all the conditions I have named: but I must stipulate that you do not ask me to explain the means which I shall adopt for this purpose.” “ Damn the means, Tim,” exclaimed the Princes, in a hilarious tone, “ provided the aim be accom- plished. You have my free permission,” con- tinaed this execrably selfish and diabolically heartless individual, “to use any spells, charma, incantations, or enchantments you choose,—in plain terms, to adopt any means you may think advisable, so long as the grand result be gained.” “ Good !” observed Meagles, scarcely able how- ever, to coneeal his disgust at the cowardly, un- manjy, demoniac treachery which that infamous Prinee was capable of practising towards a woman who really loved him. “ You may con- sider the affair relative to Mrs. Fitsherbert as being just the same as if it were settled. On my return from Windser I will direct my immediate attention thereto.” “Your return from Windsor!” repeated the Prince: “ but how can you go thither at all without the document ?” “JT have a scheme in my head to meet that emergency also,” replied Meagies. “Come, don’t ask me any questions, and don't make yourself unhappy: both matters shall be sottled, I can promise you. Mrs. Fitsherbert shall agree to your terms on the one hand, and your ilustrious father shall grant Mr. Clarendon a peerage on the other band.” “ Is it possible, Tim !” exclaimed the delighted heir-apparent. “You are the cleverest fellow in the universe, by God! But how can I reward for all this ?” “When I have fulfilled what I have pro- mised, i¢ will be time to talk of recompense,” eaid Meagles. “ No cure, no pay: but if there bes oure in this instance, 1 warn you, my dear Prince, that I shall ask something handeome as my reward, to be granted whenever the means are in your power.” “ You cannot ask too much, my deer friend,” seid his Royal Highness, who was always ready to promise most lavishly at the very moment he was least able to perform. “ Well, well,” said Meegles, in a tone of appa- CONNEC OOO ‘SS CO