The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 121: what you’re looking at

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106 Marriage Act to the winds and proclaim Mrs. Fitzherbert his wife and his Queen. In such a case, would it be of no avail to us that the honour of the lady exists in our keeping? But, under any circumstances, when we have obtained as much as we can get from the Prince, we shall then demand more through the influence and ageney of Mrs, F itzherbert.” * You are right, Tim,” said the Amazon: * we will secure the possession of the Marquis of Bellois’ papers. And now, when are we to renew our nego- tiations with Joseph Warren, the redoubtable Magsman ?” “You and I will pay that worthy a visit this very evening, my beauty,” answered Meagles, “ Only fancy what a glorious thing it would be for us if we should succeed in obtaining the other half of the certificate, and if, when put together, the entire document proved that the present King was really married to Hannah Lightfoot! Why—not only would the honour of the Sovereign be com- pletely in our hands—but likewise the validity of his alliance with the Queen and the legitimacy of all his children.” “To be sure!” ejaculated the huntress. “But I am afraid, from certain expressions—mangled and fragmentary though they be—in the moiety of the document which we now possess, that no real mar- riage ever took place.” “The whole tenour of that moiety, so far as we can understand it,” said Meagles, “ admits of two interpretations,—one for, and the other against a belief in such a marriage. It is impossible to decide between them until we can peruse the docu- ment as a whole; and this evening we will endea- vour to lay a train for the purchase of the fragment in old Lightfoot’s possession,” added Tim: for the old man’s death was unknown to him and the Amazon. “ T dare say we shall succeed,” observed the lat- ter, rising from her seat. “ We shall work with more energy now that it is for ourselyes, than we did when the Prince commissioned you to negotiate privately in his behalf. But it is now mid-day, Tim—and the weather is clearing up. I must hasten home—change my Amazonian garb for a silk gown, gipsy-bonnet, and warm furs—and ap- pear in a dress which, as the common phrase goes, is suitable to my sex,” she added, laughing. “ And pray whom are you bent upon captivating to-day ?” demanded Tim, bestowing upon the splen- did creature a caress which she received in a man- ner indicating that, however profligate she might be, and however lavish of her favours she noto- riously was, she nevertheless entertained something like a sincere affection for Meagles. “ So far from haying any such idea as you impute to me, Tim,” she said, in answer to the question which he had jocularly put to her, “ I mean to play the amiable towards old Sir John, and take him out for an airing in the carriage. He will be so delighted that nothing I may ask will be refused; and I shall pave the way to obtain the few thou- sands that you and [ are likely to require for our purposes in the course of the week. Adieu for the present, my dear Tim: I shall call for you at about eight this evening—and we will then proceed to- gether to the classic region of Horslydown.” “ Adieu, my charmer,” returned Meagles, press- ing his lips to her rich red mouth; and the Amazon THE MYSTERIES. took her departure from the lodgings of her para- mour. We cannot close this chapter without directing the attention of the reader to the fact that Mr. Meagles had maintained towards Lady Letitia Lade the Same secrecy and silence relative to the orphan Rose which he had observed on the preceding evening with the Prince of Wales. -_— CHAPTER XXX, MR. PAGE AND HIS WIFE. WE now go back to Mr. Page and his wife, whom we shall find proceeding arm-in-arm from the Borough towards old London Bridge. The commercial traveller, flattering himself that he was a man worth six thousand pounds in ready money and possessing papers calculated to produce as much again, walked with his head erect and an air of such assurance that one would have thought the entire metropolis belonged to him. In this respect he was well matched by Julia, who, fancying that her gaudy bonnet and her flaunting shaw] were sufficient to render her “quite the lady,” marched along with an assumption of vulgar pride which made her seem as if she fancied the street was not half wide enough for her. The little boys stared at the singular-look- ing couple—sober-minded people experienced a sen- timent of pity for their vanity—and when the poor shivering beggars touched their hats or curtsied, as the case of sex might be, Page held his head up higher still; for it struck him that he was all of a sudden very much respected. In this manner they crossed the bridge, and pro- ceeded straight to Wood Street, where they entered the warehouse of Messrs. Hodson and Morley. The senior partner happened to be there at the moment, superintending the unpacking of some bales of goods which had just arrived; and, on hearing the door open, he raised his eyes and beheld the com- mercial traveller with a bold-looking woman hanging to his arm. Mr. Hodson was astonished; and, putting on his spectacles, he indulged in another long stare at the newly-married couple. Yes—it was really Page,— Page with his hat cocked jauntily on one side of his head, and with such a smirking familiarity expressed alike in his countenance and manner, that the sedate merchant knew not whether to consider him drunk or demented. But how different from the Mr. Page who used to take off his beaver the instant he crossed the threshold, and who was wont to glide noiselessly through the warehouse direct into the private office as if he were treading upon eggs! And then that woman, too—with the flaunting dress of a vulgar upstart and the bold looks of a courtezan! What could it all mean? Mr. Hodson knew not: he was bewildered—and, turning towards the porter who stood gazing open-mouthed upon the pair, he said in a hollow tone, ‘* Ask Mr. Morley to step this way.” “T hope I don’t intrude, Hodson,’ exclaimed Page, caressing his chin and speaking in a sort of blandly patronising tone: “ but I thought that as I was in the neighbourhood I might just as well drop in to ask you how you got on, and likewise to tell you, my boy, to look out for another country-tra- veller—as I’ve cut the thing dead. D’ye hear, Hod- son ?” = ST COMA EloOOKS. EO