The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 313: what you’re looking at

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

a ton. He then muffled himself in his cloak—quitted Carlton House by the private staircase leading from | his own bed-chamber—and passed hastily into St | James’s Square. The door of that department of the milliner’s establishment was speedily opened; and ' in a few minutes he was seated with Mrs, Brace | in the little parlour to which allusion has been 90 | frequently made in former chaptera of our narra- tive. To this lady the Prince spdéedily communicated the satisfactory intelligence that her advice had been adopted in respect to the means of propitiating Mr. Clarendon when he should come to knuw daughter's shame; and the milliner was well please by the intelligence thus conveyed. She then spoh® of the issue of the adventure at the ball, the failuté of the Prince's attempt upon Lady Desborough having been already made known by him in a not® which he had written to Mra. Brace on the ensu morning. His Royal Highness did not however present seem in a humour to discuss that subject but, hastily shifting the discourse, he d whether she had any good news for him respecting Miss Camilla Morton. “T will tell you very candidly,” Siw’ Brace, “iat I am at a loss td tompren young. girl. ft was Sunday evetting, you (© that you supped with nve, Catnilta being pfe Monday I saw little of Het, as I ots inch | during the day—and of the night £ was at House, as you ate awtre. But yesterday # | that there was some alteration her mahfi... ofé either beheld me with an unwWohtéd degree of timi- dity, or with suspicion—I know not Which. I spoké kindly tn her—ehe answered mé in a tone that struck ine as being cold and with an air that seemed reserved. Throughout yesterday she was thus peculiar in her manner; and to-day it has been the same,” added the milliner: for it was ott the Wednesday evening that the Prince and herself wete thus conversing to- gether. “Think you, my dear Fanny,” inequited his Royal Highness, “that she suspects who I am f* “ Decidedly not,” responded Mra. Brace. “If she did, she would not hesitate to tell me so—for, with all ber natural timidity, she is a girl of a frank, art- lesa, and ingenuous disposition.” “It was thus that I also read her character, on Sunday night,” taid the Prince. “ Well, if she do not suspect who I am, what the devil micgiving can she entertain f* “I know not. Perhaps she has overheard some Sncautions whisper on the part of the senior girls.” added Mrs. Brace, ina musing tone. “ There is one —Rachel Forrester — who will soon become a mother: and yet her position is not apparent—nor 1s she likel¥ to commit any ittdiscretion in the pre- sence of Camille. -In fact, I am quite bewildered what to make of the girl,” exclaimed the milliner petulantis. “Then you have not been able ts 2ttange any “ Nothing at all,” interrupted Mrs.Brace, laconi- cally. “ The truth is, my dear Prince,” she observed, after a brief pause and lowering her toné, “ Camilla is an orphan and totally friendlest—and consequently there is not the ste heoestity to act n a slow, cautioug careful manner a8 when 6 young girl whe Lt F=F dF TrS mi cTERIES. a couple of hours agreeably enough in his estima | has parents to fly to is concerned. Now, do you un- derstand me?” “TI should be a perfect idiot if I did not,” an- swered the heir-apparent. “ You mean, my dear Fanny, that you leave Camilla Morton entirely to my management——”’ “Yes: to your tender mercies,” said the milliner, darting upon him: a look full of significancy. The Prince of Wales regarded his watch. It was close ppon eleven o'clock. The young ladies bad all retired to rest: but it was too early to think of put- ting his diabolical scheme into execution. He ac- cordingly resolved to wait until near midnight; and Mra. Brace covered the table with all the wines, spiritd, and liqueurs that were likely to tempt the palate of his Royal Highness. That, by the aid of curaocé punch and some delectable conversation with the handsome milling, the Prince whiled away the time until midnight. “ Now, my dear Fanny, I shall retire—: hope te paPadise,” said the heir-apparent, smiling at his own awful blasphemy. “ But should any accident disap- me—any unexpected event constrain me to beat a retreat—I shall find my way to your chamber, Fanny,” he added, caressing her plump cheek with his hand. * Indeed, my good friend,” exclaimed Mre. Brace, biushing and looking confused, “ I must beg and im- plore you to leave me unmolested under any circum- stances—-—” © Well, well,” interrnpted the Prince, smiling sig- hiffcantly; “let us hope that my success with Ca- Milla will be éuch as to render it unnecessary fit me to seek a bed elsewhere. But I understand yot, iny cunning friend—you have a litde mtrigue of your ewn in progress to-night—eh? There, séw—you | ne#éd not blush nor cast down your eyes: I am well | aware that you are not immaculate—and indeed [ have ie t8 question you as to your i So give ié & taper and conduct me to the door ef Camilla’s room.” Mrs. Brace said not & Word : but, with the crimson hue still upon her cheeks, she rose—lighted a wax Cahdle—and fel the way noiselessiy along the pas- sage into that division of her premises which looked | upon St. James’s Square: for the sleeping-rooms of | the young ladies were ali, for obvious reasons, in this latter compartment of the spacious establishment. Having ascended two flights of stairs, Mra. Brace gave the Prince the candle—whispered the number of a certain room —and then rapidly withdrew. His Royal Highness advanced along a passage which was so thickly carpetted that even if he had trodden as heavily as a cart-horse tite sounds of his steps would have been deadened by the rich fabric. In a few moments he reached the room which had been described to him ; and the doer yielded to his hand. But on entering a smali ante-chamber, he carefully closed it again behind him. This ante-chamber was only a few feet square— just large enough to contain a bath. Facing the en- trance by which the Prince had mate his way hither, was a second door; and from beneath it as well as through the key-hole glimmered 2 feeble light. It was evident, therefore, that a candle burat in Camilla Morton’s room; and the Prince secerd- ingly extinguished the wax light whieh he carried in his hand. He now stooped down and peeped through the key-bele, = re al COMING BOOKS COMM