The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 201: what you’re looking at

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

.190 ) THE MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. by letter and by word of mouth, declare that you were my saviour and acknowledge the obligation under which I lay towards you.” “No doubt,” rejoined Sir Frederick. “ But letters may be as insincere as bills of exchange themselves may be fictitiona: for the man who would forge a name to the latter, would scarcely hesitate to lie through the medium of the former. And then too, as far verbal o ions-———Ah | my Lord Viscount Eushbrook, I know the value of such language from your lips |” “Why, what—what—my dear Sir Frederick,” etammered the young nobleman, looking dreadfully confused, despite hie characteristio impudence, “what do you mean ?” “Kvery fable has its moral—every string of truths produce their corollary,” replied the mer- chant, sententiously. “Think you that I have entered this night into all these recapitulations for the purpose of parading my own generosity in a pecuniary sense towards your father and yourself? —or think you that I seek to enhance the impor- tance of the favour I am about to bestow upon you,—a favour which however great it may be in reference to your present necessities, is in respect to my means and resources of the most trumpery and trivial deseription. Ne—these are not my objects. Bat I wish to let you know, Lord Vis- count Rushbrook, that I am not your dupe.” “My dupeP Ha! ha! Sir Frederick, that is really too good!”—and the Viscount affected to laugh chucklingly. “Is would be rather difficult, I fancy, to get the better of a shrewd, clear- headed man of business sach as you are.” “It is the very thing of which I am secking to convince you,” rejoined Sir Frederick: “for if I give you my money, and if I have given your father my money, it is that I toss my thousands to you patrician beggars of Belgravia, just as when the humour takes me I toes my pence to the ane mendicants of St. Giles’s or White- Co Ind “On my soul, these are hard words, Sir Frede- rick!” ejaculated the Viscount, coloaring. “ Doubtless they are hard words,” reapomded the merchant; “but it is your own fault, and that of your father, if they are now addressed to you. I will come to the point. The Earl of Fordwich boasts that his patrician hand has been graciously and condescendingly pleased to grasp my piebetan hend. Seach things as these is your Right Honourable father constantly saying; while your Right Honourable mother hesitates not to declare that ber daughter was thrown away upon a City merchant, when with a little trouble and manau- vring she might no doubt bave married one of her own sphere. Mark |—one of her own sphere. It is easy, therefore, to comprehend what your lady- mother thinks of me. But with you, my Lord Viscount, it is infinitely worse. In your eobder momente as well as in your drunken revelries, you have spoken scornfully of the City merehant. Have the words ‘cain, pompous, self’ suffiviont, upstart,’ never issued from your lipsP But 1 will not dwell upon these things, — though I oan aveare you they wound me not; for I can scorn and de- piso them. I have said enough to convince you, my lord, thet law not your dupe. I know tbat in your beart yoa hate me: it is gall and worm- wood for yuu to reveite favours at my bands; and therefore, even in conferring them—and in giving you that which your necessities will not permit you to refuse, but which indeed they compel you to ask —{am revenged !” Nothing could exceed the discomfiture of Vis- count Reshbrook while Sir Frederick Letham thes spoke. The patrician dared not look the rich plebetan in the face. He was abashed—con- founded—annibilated. Bat with the utmost cool- ness Sir Frederick Latham filled up a cheque for the sum of two thousand pounds; and as he pewed it across the table to the Viscount, he eaid, “ Not a word of what has passed need be repeated in the presence of Anastatia! And remember, my lord —vwhea we rejoin your sister in the drawing-room, we wear countenances as if nothing extraordinary had taken place. And now, my lord, for that other bottle of wine which I promised you.” “Thanks for the accommodation,” said the Vis- count, now suddenly recovering all hi eself- possession and his flippant complacency. “ Bat, ah! you have crossed this cheque—and [ shall have to send it through my dankers’,—whom, to tell you the trath, I have overdrawn to the tane of a few handreds: so that they would intercept a consider- able portion of this amount in order to repay themselves—which would by no means answer my purpose.” “Then come to me in the City te-morrow, and I will give you bank-notes,” said the merchant. “Or stop, I think I can manage it in another way. Have the ess to follow me, my lord.” Sic Frederick Latham rose from his seat, and issued from the room. He conducted the Viscount through the library, into a small cabinet, which served as a private office or study whore Sir Fre- deriok was wont to look over letters, or transact any other little business which he might manage at home, and on those days on which it was not necessary for him to proceed to his great establish: ment in the City. Drawing forth a key from his pocket, Sir Frederick opened an iron safe, which was concealed by a door formed in the beautifally painted and exquisitely gilt pannelling-work ; and he took from that safe a vash-box containing & quantity of gold in one compartment and a namber of bank-notes in another. “* Ah ( I eee, Sir Brederiok,” enid the Viscount, with one of his flippant laaghs, “that you always keep @ good supply of money in the house in case of emergencies.” _“ Always,” responded the merchant, with ap- parent coolness and indifference: bat the proceed- ing was in reality anotber piece of osteatation on his part, to pique the envy of his patrician brother- in-law, whom he alike despised and hated. When Sir Frederick had coanted down bank- notes to the amount of a eoaple of thousand pounds, there was etill a considerable amount left ; and fa the same spirit of ostentation, the merchaat folded them up methodically —conducting tne pre- cess in such a manner that Rushbrovk might catch a glimpse of the word “ Hunprep ” in the corner of some dozen or fifteen of these remaining notes. “Shall I give you a little memorandum—an acknowledgment—a note of hand—or anything you think fit P” inquired the Viscount, as he thrast into bis pucket the two thousand pounds just handed to him. GOnMIGOOOKS (CO