The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 398: what you’re looking at

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

‘THE MYSTERIES. jr fody and conveyed to the Home Office,” said the Prince, at the same time slipping his purse into the constabie’s hand. “ And mind, Mr. Bax—as i shall not be there to give evidence,—mind, I say,’ continued the heir-apparent, fixing a look full of meaning upon the functionary,—* mind that they are both seditious charactere—~both notorious rogues end disaffocted persons —- both dangerous to “Ah! chat they be” observed Bax, with a glance that showed how well hs understood the part be was to play in the matter. “ And now, as they are both rekivering, I should advise your Royal Highness to withdraw.” “ Your counsel is excellent,” said the Prince. “I cannot condescend to bandy words with such men, should they seek to address me and implore my Pardon for this unprovoked outrage which they have Having thus spoken — —and in this last sentence conveying to Mr. Bax a hint relative to the lan- guage in which his evidence was to be couched at the Home Office—the Prince of Wales quitted the chamber just at the moment when Tim Meagles and James Melmoth were being restored to complete consciousness. Having hastily reassured Mrs. Brace respecting any fears which she might entertain of exposure, ecandal, and disgrace,—and having recommended her to keep Rose Foster a close prisoner for present, —his Royal Highness hurried back to Carlton House, which was only a couple of minutes’ walk from the milliner’s abode. Immediately on reaching his private apartment, he summoned Germain to his presence, and ad- dressed that faithfal servitor in the following man- ner :— “You will proceed without an instant’s delay to the lodgings of Mr. Meagles in Jermyn Street. I know that he is not at home at this moment—neither will he return for some time. But you will say that you are anxious to ses him and will therefore wait for him. When alone in his apartments you will open his desk-——closets—cupboards thing where letters or papers are likely to be kept ; and alli such letters and papers which you can find, you will conceal about your person and bring to me. Never mind about breaking open locks—hesitate not to foroe doors oF drawete ne you accomplish y commands. And if interrupted by anybody, | ries declare boldly that Mr. Meagles is in a scrape—and that he requires his papers to help him out of it. If need be that yon should say more than this, then state with equal effrontery that you are my servant and that it is by my orders yoo are thus acting en behalf of my valued and esteemed friend Mr. Mea- gies. Do you comprehend me t” “ Perfectly, may it please your Royal Highness,” answered Germain ;—and, with a low bow, he retired to execute the commission thus entrusted to him. The motive of the Prince of Wales in directing this step to be taken, may bo explained in a few words. It was not that be suspected for a moment that Meagles had puricined from him the papers half of the Lightfoot certificate: but it was because he himself had on many occasions written notes to Meagles upon private affairs which he was loth to have published to the world; and he thought it pro- bable that Tim might have preserved those in which case it was only pradent to regain possession of them. We shall now follow Germain and ascertain the result of his mission. Qa arriving at Mrs. Piggleberry’s house in Jermyn Street, the French valet was informed (as indeed hs had been led to expect) that Mr. Meagiles was not at home. He accordingly declared that he wished to seo him very particalarly and would walk in and pwait his return. The polite landlady, who knew that he was in the service of the Princa, showed him tp-staire to Meagles’ sitting apartment, where she otf course left him. The instant that be was alone, Germain began to inspect the place; and a writing-desk on a side-table immediately attracted his notica It was locked : but before he broke it open, Germain took the precaution of trying all the keys that were upon a bunch in his own pocket ;—and one of them happened to fit the desk. A hasty glance over the papers which it con- tained, enabled him to separate the ictters and cor-. respondence from the useless documents, such as‘ tradesmen’s bills, sporting memoranda, betting- records, &c.; and having completed his research in respect to the desk, the valet proceeded to examine the cupboards and drawers in the adjoining bed-room. He however discovered no more papers ;— and pocketting those which were.set aside to be taken away, he descended the stairs—-observed tu Wasp the | whom hs encountered in the hall that he could not wait any longer—and returned te Carlton House. The packet of docaments which he had thus stelen from M * lodgings, was now delivered inte the hands of the Prince of Wales, who was im- Pelied by motives of curiosity to Inspect them forthe vs how great was his surprise—how profound his amasement, when he discovered amongst them the very correspondence which he had missed from his own desk same weeks previously, and which con- tained the proofs of his marriage with Mrs. Fits- herbert ! “Then Meagles really was a traitor and a scoun- drei!’ cried the Prmce aloud, as he assured himself that the papers were indeed the originals and se forged imitations. “He must have stolen them, the villain—stolen them from me, his benefactor and patron! But he will ho punished at length—that is, if I know anything at all of English Home Seoreta- and of Home Office proceedings. Ah! ah! Master Meagles—ca ught at last, ch f” exclaimed the heartless heir-apparent with a triamphant laugh. “Much as the Ministers dislike me as an individual, they have a profound veneration for Royalty—and they will save this Royalty from being in any way damaged, even though I am its representative whe must now be vindicated. Yes—yes: there is no fear but that and his companion Meimoth will get the worst of it at the Home Office.” ungrateful Prince resuming his examination of the papers, he discovered not only the half of the Lightfoot certifi- cate which he had lost, but likewise the remaining snoiety ;—and here was another cause for wonder- But there was still a packet of papers to inspect ; —and, to his increasing surprise, the heir-apparent found that they were all in the handwriting of Mra. letters, | Fitzherbert! And—Ah! to whom were they ad- Seen age TE EE a Ew SEE. GRD oy { EOMICHOOOKS (C