The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 41: what you’re looking at

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

MORE PEARLS FROM THE STRING 23 forth from the midst of all the hair that covered his face. ‘“‘] have made this fellow write him a most peremptory letter, something in this style: ‘My lord, if your lordship does not pay the nineteen thousand five hundred pounds for which I hold your lordship’s I O U’s by eight o’clock to-night, when the bank at my establishment opens, I shall be under the necessity of posting your name up in the room, and shall have you put into the Satirist and the Age next Sunday.’ ” ‘And has this letter really gone? ’’ demanded Leveson, almost in ecstasies of delight. ‘“‘ By Jupiter! I saw it sent off myself at about two o’clock to Carlton House, and when I went at three to call on Sack- ville, as usual, 1 pretended to be fearfully indignant on reading the said letter, which he thrust into my hand the moment [ entered his room. Lord, how I did swear against that gambling-house keeper! I called him all the ‘d d scoundrels ’ I could think of; and if oaths were things, and only as heavy as feathers, I am sure I swore enough of them to break a horse’s back if they were all collected together and laid upon it. Of course Sackville appealed to me for my advice and assistance. He always does, I have made myself so necessary to him. Well, I assured him that the money must be paid, for that the gaming-house keeper was a nasty fellow and would do his worst. Then how was the money to be got? That was the next question. Could I raise it on a loan? No; all the money-lenders I am ac- quainted with had got plenty of his bills already. He walked up and down the room in great agitation, and at length exclaimed, stopping short, ‘ Come, Tash, I know you must have some sort of advice to give me, if you will.’ Then I looked very grave, observing that the only thing I could recommend was for him to ask his wife, as she seemed to possess an inexhaustible treasure somewhere or another. ‘No, impossible! ’ he cried, ‘ I dare not ask her for any more. Would you believe it,’ he added, ‘ that the whole amount I have had from her during the last six or seven months has run up to no less than fifty thousand pounds?’ I expressed my joy that he had a wife who was able to act as his banker to such a glorious extent, but I think he blushed a little and looked rather confused, as if he were not altogether pleased with the allusion. However, immediately recovering himself, CO) nn) GDoOOo <Si in