The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 43: what you’re looking at

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

} ! | } ! | | | ! , | & THR MYSTERIES. oaramour; and taking up the candle which she had brought with her, followed Page from the room. They ascended the flight of steps leading to the oft; and there the woman replaced the trap-door which she covered with the straw. Thence they retraced their way to the little parlour dewn stairs ; and Page, having wished the Bky Beggarman, his daughter, and the Gallows’ Witow night, ‘ssned in safety from the Beggar's . But scarcely had he proceeded ten yards up the street, when a man darted from the establishment —crossed over the way—and, in the black shade of the houses on that side, dogged the steps of the commercial travelter. This individual parewed his way, quite uncon- scious of being thus watched, and wondering why Mr. Grumley and his men had remained so quiet,— a circumstance which he did not however regret, inasmuch as it had prevented a conflict wherein he himself might have been either killed or seriously injured. On reaching the corner of Horslydown, he turned into Pickted Herring Street, when some One, emerging from the very recesa where he and the Gallows’ Widow had concealed themsetves om their way to the Beggar's Staff, said in a low and hurried tone, * Is that you, Mr. Page ?” “ Yea,” responded the startled by the abrupteess of the incident. “Then come here fora moment,” resumed the man Who had spoken; and he half dragyed Page into the recess, saying im the same whispering tome, “ Gramley set me here to watoh for you. There's another of us ont t’other end of Horslydown—and 30 We Was sure not to miss you somehow. Gruinley says the thing can’t be done to-night, even if 20 be the Magsman is there—'vause the place is too fall. He must see you at the office in Bow Street in the morning. “T have good,” answered Page. everything—and it’s much better to put It off till to- morrow. The Magsmaen will then be sure to fall into our hands.” “ That's all right,” observed the officer. * We was afraid you'd be lurking about if you didn’t meet any of us at once—and p’rhaps some of them would have seen you. That's why we stayed to keep a look-out for you.” “Thank’ee for your kindness,” responded Page. “Iwas indeed wondering why I didn’t hear or see anything of you. Good night.” “Good night, sir,” answered the constable ;— and they separated, the commercial traveller con- tinuing his way along Pickled Herring Street. But the whole of this colloquy was overheard by the spy set to dog Page's footsteps; and five minutes every syllable was duly re- pore. (© those whom it concerned at the Beggar's Staff. CHAPTER IX, MR. HARLEY. We must now return to Paradise Villas, Several hours had elapsed since the departure of | Mrs. Mordaunt and Mrs. Sinlth, with their domes- tics, in the travelling-carriage ; and the sisters were juat sitting dawn to the afternoon repast in the back-parlour, when a hackney-coach drove up to} A EL TED the door. A middle-aged man, dressed in black, with a white neckcloth, and having the appearance of a valet, or “gentleman’s gentleman,” hastily alighted; and while he quietly. traversed the little garden and gave aloud knock at the door, the caach- __ took two or three small hampers out of the ve- cle, The char-woman having answered the summons, the individual in black requested to speak to Miss Clarendom; and he was accordingly shown into the front-parlour, where the sisters immediately joined him. “I have the honour to be in the service of Mr. Harley, ladies,” said the valet, with a low bow and speaking in a tone of deep respect. “My master has direeted me to call in order to apologise for his abrept departure the evening before last, but the catee ot which he will satisfactorily explain when next he haé the pleasure of seeing you. He has Nkewise made me the bearer of some game and hot-howsn @rutt, whieh he hopes you will condescend to sooepes and lastly, he has desired me to inti- mate if you ate likely to be perfectly dis- engaged this evening, he will do himself the honour ot re ox wpen yea for an hour, in order to give those to which I have alluded.” “You will have the kindness to give our respectfal compliments to Mr. Harley,” said Octavia, whose heart with a joy dll then unknown,— “and assure him that althoaght we accept his hand- some present through proper courtesy, we are wevertheless grieved that he should have en- deavoured to make any retarn for such trifling hos- pitality as wo were enabled to afford him. We are not aware of any engagement for this eveniny; but at the same tine we must beg you to observe to Mr, Harley that it is quite unnecessary for him to take the trouble of calling merely for the purposo of explaining the motive of his sudden departure the other night.” “ Your message, Miss Claren doa, shall be duly Gelivered,” eald the valet, with another low bow. “My master jestructed me to inquire after the ladies who met with the aceident in travelling- barouche. He hopes——* “ They were fortunate enough to escape without injury,” observed Octavia; “ and they are no longer beneath our roof.” “Pardon me for having so long intruded upon you, Mise Clarendon,” said the valet; and, with an- other obeisance, he took his departure. The hampers which he brought with him, had been deposited by the hackney-coachman in tho passage during the interval occupied by the pre- ceding colloquy ; and the sisters now proceeded to examine them. There was a quantity of the finest forced fruit, which could not have been purchased in Covent Garden Market for less than twenty guineas;—and there wete two brace of pheasants and a couple of hares. The sisters were much gratified by the delicate attention exhibited by Mr. Harley; and Octavia’s heart smote her for having so emphatically de. nounced his conduct in quitting them with such abruptness on the night when they first fortued his tance. She even looked forward with secret pleasure to his promised visit for the evening ; but she did not suffer this sentiment to become known to her sister. At about five o’clock Octavia proposed that they GCORNGDOOKS COMM