The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 370: what you’re looking at

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

. THE MYSTERIES. —u = - + same Gm =e + @ | 6 eee oe 4 vice,” was the response: “and if your Royal High- | “ Royal Highness”—a real, living, veritable “ Royal ness will remember a certain night at the George and Blue Boar——” “Ah! by heaven! I recollect,” cried the Prince, his face suddenly flushing with indignation: “you are the msolent scoundrel who dared to address me in a most familiar and presumptuous manner, and to follow me with a pertinacity as unaccountable as it wasrudea, What did you mean by it, sirrah ?—and who are you ?”’ “I humbly beseech the pardon of your Royal Highness,” said Mr. Page, bowing and scraping with the utmost deference: @ but the little affair referred to, is easily explained. The truth is that at the time when the incident took place, a reward was offered for the apprehension of Sir Richard Stsmford—and the extraordinary likeness which your Royal High- ness bears to the baronet led me to mistake-——” “Oh! now [I understand it all!” ejaculated the Prince, unable to suppress a laugh at Mr. Page’s expense. “But I thought you were a commercial traveller 2 What are you doing at Stamford Manor f” “T have retired from the ‘the road,’ may it please your Royal Highness,” answered Page ; “and having recently formed the acquaintance and now enjoying the friendship and confidence of Sir Richard Stam- ford_——."" “After endeavouring to capture him for the sake of the reward—eh ?” exelai:ned the Prince, darting a look of contempt on the ex- an. “Your Royal Highness must not view my conduct harshly, without knowing all the particulars,” said Page, gravely. “It was 1 who enabled the baronet to escape from the custody in which certain villains held him—as well as to prove his own innocence and bring Rameey and Martin to the scaffold. For the present, I am Sir Richard’s representative here— and if I ean do anything to testify my devotion towards your Royal Highness——” “ Well, the truth is,” interrupted the Prince, “ J need the bospitality of this house to-night for myself and this lady,” he added, glancing towards his lovely companion. “ Heavens! and I have kept your Royal Highness standing all this time in the hall—and the lady too!” @aculated Page. “ Deign to walk this way.” And, throwing open a door at random—or, be it recollected, he himself was almost a complete stran- ger at the Manor—he stood bowing and scraping near the threshold while the Prince and the lady passed into the room, which happened to be the very one where a fire was already lighted and the supper- table laid in readiness for the behoof of the ex-bagman and Julia. “Run and tell your wife—and my wife too,” whispered Page hurriedly to the old gardener, “ that the Prince of Wales and a lady are here, and that they must bustle about and get the best supper they can. Come—look alive!” added the ex-bagman sharply, seeing that Bryan was staring at him in stupid amazement. Indeed, throughout the preceding dialogue be- tween the Princé and Mr. Page, the old man had stood in speechless wonder, gazing first at the former —then af the latter—and then at the lady; for that conversation had made him aware of the astounding fact that it was not his master Sir Richard Stamford whoun he saw before him, and on whom he had been lavishing his best bows and salutations—but a COMGROO Highness :”—and now he learnt, to his increased awe and amazement, that this personage was none other th BO B CHAPTER CII. A NIGHT AT STAMFORD MANOR. In the meantime the Prince of Wales and the lady had entered the parlour and seated themselves near the hearth. The former laid aside his hat and upper coat—the latter her bonnet and furs; and they foth seemed to enjoy the cheerful influence of the fire. The lady was approaching towards forty ;—but as we have already stated, she was endowed with a ravishing beauty. Her auburn hair was of exceed- ing richness and luxuriance: her eyes were of a deep hazel, and indescribably melting in expression. She was largely—that is, finely formed: but though her bosom rose in a superb swell, and each snowy hemisphere stood out in plump exuberance from the broad and ample chest, yet was her waist of wasp- like symmetry,— and her long archjng neck and sweeping length of limb, combined with all the classic elegance of gait and gesture, imparted an air of graceful majesty to her entire appearance. Having dismissed the old gardener in the manner already described, M{r. Page bustled about to light the lamps upon the table and the wax-candles on the mantel: he then heaped more logs upon the fire —gave a glauce at the table to satisfy hitpselt that it was laid in a becoming manner— and, in fine, afforded every indication of an intense anxiety to make himself as useful as possible to the royal visitor and his fair companion. For visions of xnighthood, pensions, and sinecures were already floating in the imagination of the ex-bagman, who never missed a chance of turning particular in- cidents and favourable occurrences as much as possible to hig own special advantage. Indeed, as the rer7-~ «= alenan Ae a w7A PA ha annatantle haa an eye fix e held a a ously ¢ a- ture dx oN: T. Page, ic in the 9- mainec — “7 ha 18 house | a diately ic: any co y have to yive your humble servitor.” “| have little to say, Mr. Page,” responded the Prince, with a smile,—*uuless it be to thauk you for your zeal in our behalf. The fact is,” he added Jaconically, as if thinking that some little explana- Ss COMM