The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 85: what you’re looking at

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74 to form a similar decoction for future use. The appendage of the moustache concealed that pecu- liar formation of the Burker’s upper hip which rendered bim so easily recogrisable; and the gar- ments which the Duke supplied him, as well as the wig, aided in the accomplishment of the dis- guise. From amidst the quantity of boots and shoes which the male domestics of the establish- ment had left down-stairs to be cleaned by the underlings in the morning, Marchmont bade the Burker choose a pair that would fit him; and he did the same in respect to the hats that were sus- pended in the servants’ hall. The Duke then placed a sum of honey in tho villain’s hand—and bade him form a biindle of his own cast-off clothes, so that he night sink it in the first pond or stream he should reach. All these matters being settled, the transmog- rifled Mr. Barnes took hia departure Oak- lands; and the Duke of Marchmont Frettiviieéd to his own chamber. “It was Satan’s self,’ he thought within fis own mind, “who threw this fellow in my wij ta: night! I can now dispense with the éetrives of Stanhope,—which, after all, ig an advantage: fot he is more squeamish than I had fancidéd—Wheredd on the other hand this ruffan will do my busl- ness without compunction and withotit remorde, Her fate will soon be sealed ; and no@ f have only to think what if to Be done with regard to him—if indeed it be he himself in the ving person, and not a spirit whut’ 1 have seu |” a) CHAPTRYE XCVIIL THR SAIS, Tire eceno agaifi shifts to London. In a Well. furnished room at a beautiful littls suburban rilla, Mr. White Chokct was seAted upon & soft with the mistress whom Madame Angelique had a0 kind} provided for him. This was Linda, the Gertné beauty. She was dressed in an elegant deshabiltde, consisting of a French muslin wrapper; and which, though it came up to the throat, neverthe- less defined all the voluptuous proportions of her form. The rich masses of her auburn hair en- framed her countenance with heavy bands, and were negligently knotted behind the well shaped head: for it was not yet mid-day and Linda’s toilet had still to be accomplished. Mr. White Choker was deeply enamoured of his beautiful mistress. Several days had now passed since he first became possessed of her: he firmly believed that she was all but virtuous when she came to his arms; and he was very far from suspecting that she was in the way to become a mother. On the occasion when we now find him seated by her side, he had only just arrived at the villa, where be had not passed the preceding night: for he could not too often adopt towards the wife of his bosom, the excellent Mrs. White Choker, the excuse “that he was going to keep a vigil of blessed prayer by the bed-side of a dear brother in the good work, who was lying at that extremity which was but the passport to the realms of eternal bliss.” Mr. White Choker was dressed in precisely the THE MYSTERIBS OF THE COURT. ° samo style as when we first introduced him to the reader,—a black suit—a white neckcloth, display- ing no collar—shoes and stockings, the former with very large bows;—while a capacious cotton umbrella kept company with his low-crowned hat which he had deposited on the carpet. How is it that all “sainte’ carry cotton umbrellas? A “gaint” evidently does not consider himself perfect without such an sppendage. However rich he may be, you will never see him with a silk um- brella: it is always a cotton one. If you peep into Exeter Hall, a glance will soon satisfy you that all the umbrellas which tap upon the floor ag some peculiarly refreshing portion of the speaker’s discourse, ara stout cotton ones, and there shall not be & singlo silk one amongst them. A cotton um- brella is as inseparable from a gentleman “ saint” asa brandy final is from a lady “saint ;” and per- haps there is at eyual number of both umbrellas and flasks at every Miecting at Exeter Hall of any other resort of the édnctisidiious. Bat to teturn to du? harrative. Mr. White Choker saté upon the sofa nett to Linda; and having tofed fot adme little while vt her, he began to hotics that thd expression r eotth- tutianod was pensive eten to moutofulfeds. "Tell me, my dear gitl,” he said, 18 that Whin- ing cAfting tone whith from long HAbIt he fo# in- variably adopted, #0 that even his profesticns of Idvé Webs conveyed in an Rieter Hall snitel,— “ tell me, my dear girl, what opptédies your thind P If you have stetet woes, leb you? loving a Choker share them: for whén Jou smile, Choker shall smile—atid when goth weep, the fuithfal Choker shall weep lthewitd.” Two y tears wat how Wickling down Linda's theeka; and Mr White ther, siving the satri#, thouglit it expedient to kiss thei awh: in thé first inetatics, and then to géb up a little sympathetic tnivel of his own in the second in- stance. In 8d doing, he pulled, ul his white herchiefs tnd, Behold | a Subtle tanta fet! upon te loom They Were thé newly published effusions of one Of the most gavoury vessels and most influefititl members of the Foreign Cannibal- Reclaiming, Negro-Christianising, and Naked- Savage-Clothing Society; and on receiving them that very morning, Mr. White Choker had assured his trusting and pious wife that he would hasten off to distribute them amongst the “benighted :” but instead of doing anything of the sort, he had sped, as we have seen, to the villa which he had hired for his mistress. “But tell me, my dearest Linda,” said Mr. White Choker, when he fancied he had gone through a sufficient process of snivelling, and turn- ing up the whites of hia eyes, and mghing and groaning, “tell me, my love, what it is that ails youP If you have any remorse for the life you are leading, set your mind at ease: for the good that I doin the world more than compensates for any lcetle indiscretion or weaknese of which I may be guilty; and the cloak of my sanctity covereth thee also, my dear sister But hang it! Iam not on the platform now! I really thought I was for the moment. Come, Linda dear, tell your own faithful Choker what it is that afflicts you; and he will do everything that lies in his power to contri- bute to your happiness.’’ “How can I ever tell you the truth?” said DOO <S a cD hes DNSNNSNNENUNDnsnreaseeeces.* {c@