The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 298: what you’re looking at

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

THE MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. 287 by a groom on this occasion, for some reason which it is not worth while to describe. I¢ was by acci- dent, and with no settled purpose in view, that Bir Frederick Latham rode in the direction of Brixton Hill,—where, as it will be reeollected, Madame Angelique’s villa was situated. But let us leave Sir Frederick for a few minutes, while we look into tho interiar of that ville. Madame Angelique was seated at dessert: but her countenance bore the evidences of a certain inward trouble or uneasiness. It was elear that the milliner, on retiring from busines, bad not found the mental tranquillity wkich she had hoped to experience in the seclusion of her beautiful villa. Presently there was a knock at the door; and Mr. Shadbolt was announced by the pretty parlour-maid, whose face expressed mingled anger and disgust; for she detested this visitor, and he had just taken the liberty of tapping: he? cheek in the hall. Mr. Shadbolt—as was now usual with him—bad been dining luxuriantly, and :it seemed as if the viands of which he had partaken, had been washed down with a considerable amount of generous wine. Indeed it was in a state of semi- ebristy that he was thus mtroduced into Madame Angelique’s presence. i “ Weil, what news P” he inquired, taking & seat, and at once filling a wind-glass for himeeif. “ It is singular that I have not amen the Duke,” wplied Madame Angelique, rather in a musing tone to herself, than exactly addressing her visi- tor. . “What Duke? Your friend Marehmont of whom you so constantly epeak ?” he inquired. “Yes. I forgot I bad not seen you singe. he called yesterdsy. It was immediately afler you left. 99 " & Well, I ean tell you,” rejoined Shadbolt, “ that | the Duke is lying in # desperate state at his house ia Belgrave Square.” -“ Ah!” ejaculated Madama Angelique: and then she muttered to herself, “ No _—" nq wonder !” *T suppose you know,” continued Shedbolt,| | “that his brother Lord Clandog suddenly. oe up yesterday and was arrested” «Ci “Yes, I know it all,” answered Medeme An gelique. “Iread the paragraph that was in this: tmorning’s paper; and the evening one,” she added, glancing towards the Globe, which lay upon the sofa, * contains a longer account of what yosterday took place at Bow Street. It seems that the very Mr. Coleman concerning whom you had been frightening me so-———"” “'Yes—-the arrest took place at his office,” said Shadbolt, speaking with his mouth full ef cake; “and the Duke himeecif was in the place at the time. There was a Hindoo woman too——”’ “I know it,” interrupted Madame Angelique curtly. “When the Duke called upon me after you left the villa yesterdsy, I told him all you had been saying to me——” “Welland what then?” asked Shadbolt with &@ momentiry eagerness. “ Why, to speak plainly,” responded the French- woman, “the Dake was not much inclined to be- lieve that Ooleman was aman who would accept # bribe of two hundred guineas to desist from pro- secuting me. However, he said he would go and ses Mr. Coleman on my behalf; and, as i} must bd have happened, the Duke’s brother was there at the very same moment. So the Inspector said in the account of the capture which he gave to the magistrate, and which is in the newspaper.” “Bat the Duke did not come back to you— eh &’ absorved Mr. Shadbolt. “Well, all I ean tell you is that if you hadn’t given me that little dou- céeur of two hundred guineas to slip into Cole. man’s hand 7 “J hope it is all right, and that you have not keen ,decaiving meP” said Madame Angelique, looking very hard at Mr, Shadbolt. ‘I deoave:. your” he exclaimed. ‘ What— honest Ike Shadbolt deceive bis dear, and intimate fziend, :the amiable and excellent Madama Ange- a man.capable of playing such a dirty. trick ?* . “I hepe not,” responded the Franchwoman ; “andl hope likewise that everything js now safo in that quarter P” ' ‘The reader will have. nadoubt comprehanded th at the. ee oe ieen Sbadholt hed: been playjng a trick by working on Madame Angalique’s fears, in order to obtain the money of which. be.atood i in need: for his extravagancea were ynliawted, and he had taken to gambling, . - ‘You eee, my dear friend,” he continued, refilling his glass, ani helping. himeel{ $9 -qngther alice of cake, “all. thous lawyer fellows gre open tq bribes; and as Colemen knoyg ag mych,abous yop, we shall have to fee him occasionally. But what think you of letting me- make an étéempt in some ather quar- ter, as a monna of raising the. wind ?”’ “No, never!” ejaquiated Madame Angelique firmly. “That business of the Lathamg was d Brin for me. I never was 60 frightened ian my he ; “Well, wall,” seid Shadbolt, “just as you please. I must take anyeelf off now: I just dropped in to inquire after yout precious health, and tell you how nigely, and comfortably I had settled that little affair with Ooleman.” “Bat what of tha, Duke of Marchmont?” said me Angelique. © How did you learn ——” of Dhet he was ia 90 degperate a condition ?” ex. ‘| claimed Shadbolt, “ Why, everybody at the West Kod ie talking: of it. It seeme that he took on ao shouk kis breather, he went home in a state border. ing on frenzy, and was seized with delirium. That ie all I know. Ah! by the bye, there is something eleo I just now heerd at the West End. The very Hindoo woman we were talking of-——” “ What of her?” demanded Madame Angelique eagerly. “ Bhe is dead,” replied Shadbolt. “Dead!” ejaculated the milliner. “Yes, dead. Ah! by the bye,” repeated Shad- bolt, “I reeollect you once asked me something about éhat Lady Indora with whom the Hindoo woman lived—-—” “‘Yes—and you told me at the time that sho was instigating Coleman to prosecute me.” “Did 1? Well, I dare say it was so,” observed Shadbol¢ carelessly : : for though sufficiently sharp, he had not a memory strong enough always to re- tain the recollection of the numerous perversions of truth or actual falsehoods to which he was prone. “But about this Hindoo woman — this Sa- goonah P”? said Madame Angelique. “T eould not exactly learn the rights of it,” re- COMME HOG cS) (CO