The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 364: what you’re looking at

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

LL A OSS a STD aS SDA THE MYSTERIES. 855 vice,” was the response: “and if your Royal High- | “ Royal Highness” —a real, living, veritable “ Royal ness will remember a certain night at the George and Blue Boar——* “Ah! by heaven! I recollect,” cried the Prince, his face suddenly flushing with indignation: “ you are the insolent scoundrel who dared to address me in a most familiar and presumptuous manner, and to follow me with a pertinacity as unaccountable as it was rude. What did you mean by it, sirrah ?—and who are you?” “I humbly beseech the pardon of your Royal Highness,” said Mr. Page, bowing and scraping with the utmost deference: “ but the little affair referred to, is easily explained. The truth is that at the time when the incident took place, a reward was offered for the apprehension of Sir Richard Stamford—and the extraordinary likeness which your Royal High- ness bears to the baronet led me to mistake——” “Oh! now I understand it all!” ejaculated the Prince, unable to suppress a laugh at Mr. Page’s expense. “But I thought you were a commercial traveller 7 What are you doing at Stamford Manor 2” “J have retired from the ‘the road,’ may it please your Royal Highness,” answered Page ; “and having recently formed the acquaintance and now enjoying the friendship and confidence of Sir Richard Stam- ford——”’ “ After endeavouring to capture him for the sake of the reward—eh?” exclaimed the Prince, darting a look of contempt on the ex-bagman. “Your Royal Highness must not view my conduct harshly, without knowing all the particulars,” said Page, gravely. “It was I who enabled the baronet to escape from the custody in which certain villains held him—as well as to prove his own innocence and bring Ramsey and Martin to the scaffold. For the present, I am Sir Richard’s representative here— and if I can do anything to testify my devotion towards your Royal Highness——” “ Well, the truth is,” interrupted the Prince, “ J need the hospitality of this house to-night for myself and this lady,” he added, glancing towards his lovely companion. ‘“ Heavens! and I have kept your Royal Highness standing all this time in the hall—and the lady too!” ejaculated Page. “ Deign to walk this way.” And, throwing open a door at random—for, be it recollected, he himself was almost a complete stran- ger at the Manor—he stood bowing and scraping near the threshold while the Prince and the lady passed into the room, which happened to be the very one where a fire was already lighted and the supper- table laid in readiness for the behoof of the ex-bagman and Julia. “Run and tell your wife—and my wife too,” whispered Page hurriedly to the old gardener, “ that the Prince of Wales and a lady are here, and that they must bustle about and get the best supper they can. Come—look alive!” added the ex-bagman sharply, seeing that Bryan was staring at him in tupid amazement. Indeed, throughout the preceding dialogue be- tween the Prince and Mz, Page, the old man had steod in speechless wonder, gazing firat at the former —then at the latter—and then at the lady: for that contersation had made him aware of the astounding fact that it was not his master Sir Richard Stamford whou he saw before him, and on whom he had been lavishing his best bows and salutations—but a Highness :”—and now he learnt, to his increased awe and amazement, that this personage was none other than the Prince of Wales, the heir-apparent to the British throne! But upon being so sharply commanded by Mr. Page to “look alive,” old Bryan felt as if he were suddenly galvanised into all the alacrity of his de- parted youthfulness : and hurrying off to the room where his wife and Mrs. Page were seated together conversing about the apparition of Ramsey, he com- municated to them the startling intelligence that the Prince of Wales and a lady had sought the hospi- tality of Stamford Manor for the night. CHAPTER CIL 4A MIGHT AT STAMFORD MANOR. In the meantime the Prince of Wales and the lady had entered the parlour and seated themselves near thehearth. The former laid aside his hat and upper coat—the latter her bonnet and furs; and they both seemed to enjoy the cheerful influence of the fire. The lady was approaching towards forty ;—but as we have already stated, she was endowed with a ravishing beauty. Her auburn hair was of exceed- ing richness and luxuriance: her eyes were of a deep hazel, and indescribably melting in expression. She was largely—that is, finely formed: but though her bosom rose in a superb swell, and each snowy hemisphere stood out in plump exuberance from the broad.and ample chest, yet was her waist of wasp- lfke symmetry,— and her long arching neck and sweeping length of limb, combined with all the classic elegance of gait and gesture, imparted an air of graceful majesty to her entire appearance. Having dismissed the old gardener in the manner already described, Mr. Page bustled about to light the lamps upon the table and the wax-candles on the mantel: he then heaped more logs upon the fire —gave a glance at the table to satisfy himself that | it was laid in a becoming manner— and, in fine, afforded every indication of an intense anxiety to make himself as useful as possible to the royal visitor and his fair companion. For visions o, xnighthood, pensions, and sinecures were already floating in the imagination of the ex-bagman, who never missed a chance of turning particular in- cidents and favourable occurrences as much as possible to his own special advantage. Indeed, as the reader is already aware, he constantly had an eye fixed upon the “main chance,” and never be- held anything unusual happen without instantane- ously setting his wits to work to render the adven- ture beneficial to himself. “May it please your Royal Highness,” said Mr. Page, when he had poked his nose into every nook in the apartment to assure himself that nothing.re. mained to be done for the comfort of the gaests,— “I have ordered that such refreshments as the house will afford at the moment, shall be imme- diately got ready ; and I am now waiting to receive any commands which your Royal Highness‘ may have to give your humble servitor.” “J have little to say, Mr. Page,” responded the Prince, with a smile,—“ unless it be to thank you for your zeal in our behalf. Tho fact is,” he added laconically, as if thinking that some little explanae A ere SSP SISESON SES COUMIC NOG) SS co “a