The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 296: what you’re looking at

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

THE MISTERICE. 279 desk on that morning when the heir-apparent amused himself with the Amazon in the bath. *Well, Tim,” continued the Prince of Wales, ou must take that fragment of the certificate vith you—-and my illustrious father will be very glad to give you in exchange an undertaking that the necessary patents shail be drawn up with. eat delay in order to confer the peerage on Mr. Clarendon. Come, Tim—you shall be off to Wind- sor this very day—for we may as well set briskly gnd earnestly to work with a view to have these ligle matiers settled as soon as possible, Give me my desk, Tim—and I will at once put you in pos- session of the half of the certificate whioh is to act like a epell upon my father.” Putting a good face upon the matter, and with as much alacrity as if he knew that the document now required was really in the place where the Prines had deposited it, Tim Meagles proceeded to convey the handsome writing-desk from the chof- fonier on which it stood to the table by the side of the sumptuous couch. His Royal Highness then drew the long gold chain from beneath his pillow; ee te Kay suspended thereto he opened the his hand amidst the pepers which filled one of the compartments, the heir-apparent sought for the particular packet which he required ; and when he could not immediately find it, he in- stituted a more careful and less burried exami- Ration into the contents of that division of his desk, Bat, the packet still continuing invisible, he rapped out sundry impatient oaths: while a cloud gathered rapidly upon his brow. “By heaven! I have joat the papers—the very important papers which I am seeking,” he ob- served, in a tone of bitter vexation. “Jam sure that I put them away here——.” “You might have locked them up in some other place,” suggested Meagles, as if quite innocent of any sinister knowledge concerning them. “ No~I am sure they were here /” exclaimed the Prince. “ Perdition! some one has been to my dak,” he added, his entire countenance contract- ing with the rage and alarm that gathered rapidly in his breast, “Have you lost any papers besides the balf of the certificate 7” demanded Meagles. “ Yes—several,” the heir-apparent, clenching his fists with impotent fury: * papers of the utmost oonsequence—proving this very mar- tlage between myself and Mre. Fitsherbert——” “That is awkward—very awkward,” observed Meagles, shaking his head in a serious manner. * Awkward |—'tis positively ruinous,” exclaimed the Prinee. “ What shall I do6?—whom can I sus- | pet? The only person at all likely to visit my . Geek would be Mrs. Fitsherbert herself——” | “Depend upon it, she is the authoress of this | @reumstance,” interrupted Tim; “and if I were ‘you, I would not annoy myself with unpleasant speculations and conjectures. Besides, if any other , person should have got hold of those papers, it can caly be for the purpose of selling them back again to you—-— | “Traef ejaculated the Prince, “But what are ; We to do now without the fragment of the certi- | feste in Hannah Lightfoot’s affair ?” @ and “ Have the to listen to me fora few | Seawten, Pines,” a0ds Menges 5 “and l dare swear we shall come to a right understanding. You know that [am a man of rather ready wit, and that I don’t take @ year to decide what ought to be done when the emergency isso pressing as scarcely to leave a minute for reflection, Well—I have hit upon two aschemes——” “Two schemes?” exclaimed the Prince, in- | — quiringly. “Yes—two schemes,” repeated Meagles: “for are there not two separate affairs to settle? One is to induce Mrs. Fitzherbert to consent to sepa- rate from you—to renounce all pretentions to be considered your wife—and to agree to such terms for her future maintenance as you may be enabled to propose. This, I say,is one object to gain—and I am the man to accomplish it |” “You” oried the Prince, with mingled amaze- ment and pleasure. “ But Mrs. Fitzherbert does not———” And he stopped short suddenly. “ Does not like me much better than the devil does holy water, eh?” exclaimed Meagles. “ That is what your Royal Highness would have said : and why not finish your sentence? It is useless to stand on ceremony with me. However, I tell you over again that J will undertake to induce the lady, whether she likes me or not, to assent to all the conditions I have ngmed: but I must stipu- late that you do not ask me to explain the means which I shall adopt for this purpose.” . “Damn the means, Tim,” exclaimed the Prince, in a hilarious tone, “provided the aim be accom- plished. You have my free permission,” con. tinued this execrably selfish and diabolically heart- less individual,—‘“to use any spells—charms—in- cantations—or enchantments you choose,—in plain terms, to adopt any means you may think advis. able,—so long as the grand result be gained.” “Good!” observed Meagles, scarcely able how- ever to conceal his disgust at the cowardly, un- manly, demoniac treachery which that infamous Prince was capable of practising towards a woman who really loved him. “ You may consider the af- fair relative to Mrs. Fitzherbert as being just the same as if it were settled. On my return from Windsor I will direct my immediate attention thereto.” “Your return from Windsor!” repeated the Prince: “but how can you go thither at all with- out the document ?” “TI have a scheme in my head to meet thai emer- gency also,” replied Meagles. “ Come—don’t ask me any questions—and don't make yourself un- happy: 5oth matters shall be settled, I can promise you. Mrs. Fitzherbert shall agree to your terms on the one hand—and your illustrious father shall grant Mr. Clarendon a peerage, on the other hand.” “Is it possible, Tim !” exclaimed the delighted heir-apparent. “You are the cleverest fellow in the universe, by God! But how can I reward you for all this ?” “ When I have fulfilled what I have promised, it will be time to talk of recompense,” said Meagles. “No cure, no pay: but if there be a cure in this instance, I warn you, my dear Prince, that I shall ask something handsome as my reward, to be granted whenever the means are in your power.” “You cannot ask too much, my dear friend,” said his Ruyal Highnoss, who was always ready to GOLAAL (G bole S COMM