The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 119: what you’re looking at

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

— eee ee ee oe 102 sheet fulded in the form of a letter. Perhaps a little application of the chemical wash will elicit more sccreta—ch, Julia?” “Let us try presently. Has it any address 7” she inquired. “None. it was doubtless enclosed in an enve- lope like tho little note; and it may perhaps be the very letter which was to follow that note. But if these missives were really sent to the Mageman, how came they in your father’s possession “I know that Warren was constantly pestering the old man about the half of the document,” said Julia; “and perhaps he gave him these letters to prove that a negotiation might still be effected with Meagles and Lady Letitia. Atal! events, the date on that little note—July 7th, 1704--proves that it must have been sent within a very few days after those persons called: because I remember well that their visit took place in the early pare of that inonth last year.” “We will lose no time now in procuring the drugs to make the chemical preparation for this blank letter,” said Page; “and we will talk more nbout tho contents of the pocket-book another time. Come,” he exclaimed, starting from his soat and approaching the window: “the snow has left off—the wenther is clearing up—and we will go out atonce. But you must unsew your stays and give me the roceipts.” “That is soon done,” observed Julia; and she entered the bed-room for the purpose, while Page secured tho pocket-book in a cupboard, of which he was careful to take the key. CHAPTER XXIX, THE AMAZON AND TIM MBAGLES. Write the preceding conversation was in pro- gress at the lodgings of Mr. Page and his bride in Southwark, an interview of a scarcely less interest- ing nature took place between Lady Letitia Lade and Tim Meagles. This gontleman, as we have already intimated, occupied apartments in Jermyn Street. He had a handsome parlour on the first floor,—a bed-chamber communicating therewith—and a snug little dress- ing-room adjoining. An elderly widow kept the house, in which there were two or three other lodzers of the male sex: but Mr. Meagles was the oue to whom she devoted her best attention—Mr. Meagles was the pink of perfection in her eyes— and if ever she wished to convey her ideas of a true gentleman, it was Mr. AMfcagles whom she held up as an exampk. The fact was that Tim paid her liberally—gave little trouble—and was of such a happy and cont- tented disposition that, to use Mrs. Piggleberry’s own words, “he never was pat out by nothink.” He appeared quite unconscious of the triffing fact | that he found tea, sugar, butter, bread, and even + meat, for his landlady and her servant as well as for himself and his page : if he had a ham for break- fast, he never was astonished to learn on the fourth or fifth morning that it was all gone'—and if he | had a large joint served up for bis dinner one day, | he did not exhitut the least amazement the next when Mrs. Pivsteberry unblushingly told him to | his face that there was nothing in the house and = ES ee oe eS ee eee «3+ Se ee THE MYSTERIES. requested him to give his orders! As tegularly as possible every six months the worthy wonidn re- presented to him that he tttust have another set of a dozen shirts; and Meagies invariably tossed down the requisite amount, without 4 murmur. All . these little circumstances tendered him a special favourite with Mrs. Piggleberry — as indeed he ought to have been ; and the uefice was that she never felt wearled of chaunting to all her friends and acquaintances the praises of Mr. Mea- les. But, then, the place suited Tim uncorhutonly well ; —and, although he knew that he was robbed thtough thick and thin, even to the recognition of his very shirts upon the person of his landlady's btothef, who was in poor circumstances atid kept a emall shop in the neighbourhood,—yet he consoled himself with the reflection that he should be plundered to an equal extent in any other lodgings, without perhaps enjoying the same freedom from intipcrtinent ctrrlosit and prying observation as he experienced benea the toof of Mra, Pigglebetry, For this gvod creattre never appeared to see nor hear anything that she ought not. Though Lady Letitia was a frequent visitor at Tim’s apartments, the discreet old woman pretended to be quite ignorant of her sex, and in- variably annothced her as Mr. Lade: and if he invited to his lodgings any ladies who were not dressed in male attire, Mrs. Piggleberry would never suffer it to appear that she suspected their equivocal cha- racter, but spoke of them as “ Mr. Meagles’ charming cousins.” Moreuver, when Tim, had a party of gen- tlemen to stp with him, and when he said hext morning, * My dear Mts. Pigglebetry, I am aftaid we kicked up a frightful row all last night,"’—she would assume an air of amazenient, and exclaim, “Why! dearey me, sift, I was only observing a minit ago to the servint-gal that the house never was ee a. —_— 2 ee wee ee ee oe RN ey SE so quiet!” And yet ps the uproariotts songs, peals of laughter, and insane shou hatl brought the watch thundering at the door half-a-dozen times between rhidnight and sun-rise. We have already hinted that Meagles had a page, or foot-boy : and we must pause for a few moments to state that this precocious youth of fourteen was one of the sharpest, cleverest, and moet knowing young rascaJs in the metropolis. He was short— slim—genteel—and good-looking : his livery became him admirably ;—and, whatever his real name might have been, he was invariablycalied by the pseudonym of Wasp. Active, faithful, mischievous, and discreet, he was invaluable to Meagles—a plagne to the ser- vant-girl—a little devil in the eyes of Mrs. Piggle- berry, who however declared that he was the quietest and nicest boy she ever met with—and a complete imp in the estimation of the second and thitd flour lodgers, on whom he was always playing off bis tricks. ° In addition to this humat appendage, Meagtes had a groom to take care of his two horses, which he kept at stables hard by ; but as the man did not live in Mrs. Piggleberry’s house, we can scaroely include him in the establishment which we have been describing. To resume the thread of our narrative,—t was, as we have already observed, on the same inorning when Mr. Page and his wife were seated in coufabualation in the Borongh, that Lady Letitia Lade partook breakfast with her friend Meagies. It was about ten o'clock when the Amazon arrived; and her cheeks ee ie en a RC epee rere a cree a a SN a ee — -—. COMNGBOOKS COMM