The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 359: what you’re looking at

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

THE CAPTAIN’S VISIT 333 to ask what you could do for me as a token of approval in respect to my conduct? ” ‘‘ Well, name your wishes,’’ said the prince. ‘“‘ But pray be reasonable,”’ he added, laughing, “ for if it’s money you want, I have devilish little of that commodity to spare. If you would like some little situation — ”’ ‘The very thing!’ exclaimed the captain. ‘‘ The truth is, prince, I want to settle down in a comfortable and re- spectable way, and my man Robin also wishes it, and Robin’s opinion has great weight with me. I am well-nigh tired of frequenting taverns and gaming-houses, and getting into scrapes with constables and watchmen for night-rows and so on, while Robin is equally tired of standing behind lamp- posts or sneaking up into corners and doorways. Besides,”’ added the captain, lowering his voice to a mysterious kind of whisper, ‘‘ I have been seriously thinking of matrimony.”’ ‘“ Matrimony! What, you?” ejaculated the prince, and he burst out laughing. “‘ Well, I am glad your Royal Highness can laugh so heart- ily at last,” observed Tash, “ for you looked as glum and mopish as a mute at a dead man’s door when I came in. ‘But, ’pon my soul, I am in earnest. Indeed, I never was more in earnest in my life,” and as if to ratify his words, the captain refilled his tumbler and tossed off the contents at a draught. 1 “‘ But are you in love? ”’ inquired the prince. “NotI. I never was in love in my life, that is to say, in real sentimental, poetizing, moonlight, spoony kind of love. I never wrote sonnets to a lady’s beauty, but conveyed my admiration by the far more practical method of giving her a hearty kiss at once.’ ‘Then I presume,’’ continued the prince, still laughing, “‘that if you are not in love, but mean to marry, you are on the lookout for a lady with a fortune? ”’ _“ That is Just about the mark,”’ responded Captain Tash. ‘A lady with some four or five hundred a year would suit my purpose uncommonly.” ‘“ But that is no great fortune, after all,’’ observed the prince. ‘“ Must she be beautiful, into the bargain? ”’ ‘“‘ Well, I cannot say that I am prepared to throw myself away upon an old harridan as shrivelled as a mummy, and at the same time I do not want a silly young creature of (C(O) nn) GDoOo <Si in