The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 123: what you’re looking at

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

108 THE MYSTERIES, means to surrender up his half of the paper, since he re- hinted—he and you are so useful to each other and so fuses to do so by fair means. T. M. has procured a copy | mixed up in several matters, he will forgive you in the of the half which is in the possession of the individual | long run for temporarily turning against him. who employs him in the business: and thus it runs ;— may concern, and know ye, all the undersigned, George Prince of cknowledge that I do now take wife in the sight of an all-seeing ewise undersigned Miss Hannah nderly and devotedly love with ul, and who fully as sincerely, me in return, with all her true w likewise, all persons whom nly and sacredly bind and pledge ght of an all-seeing heaven, that shall so dispose the heart of my as to grant his royal and paternal ssion to the proper celebration signed Miss Hannah Lightfoot,— at refusal which so very sorely sion to the royai throne of se (which God long prevent !) lay, make her my wife and Queen: dy consider ourselves to be tly and severally set our hands sence of a competent witness, ousand seven hundred and fifty-seven. GEORGE P. HANNAH LIGHTFOOT. Such is the copy of the fragment in the possession of the person who employs T. M. in the matter: but who that person is, you must notexpect to learn. Indeed, it can have nothing to do with the share which you are required to take in the matter. You saw the other day that Light- foot was obstinate: it is therefore uscless for T. M. and me to negotiate with h many more. But you told me when I saw you last ni; ht tiat you had manyand cogent reasons for not coming to a rupture with the old man. Surely the thousand guineas T. M. offers you through me—and with the chance of two thousand—will amply remunerate youfor any loss you may sustain in conse- quence of a quarrel with Lightfoot. Besides, if—as you “The preceding isa faithful copy of the fragment in the possession of T. M’s. principal. half in Lightfoot’s hands, can now judge of the value of the document as a whole. This we must leave to you: because, inasmuch as the obstinate old fellow would not even allow me and T. M.a sight of his moiety, we are utterly unable to form an opinion of the tenour of the paper when read and viewed in its complete state. But now observe :—if the document, when read as a whole, confesses marriage—then it is of first-rate importance, and the reward given to you for what we require of you, shall be two thousand guineas. But if the document should be found to contain only a promise of marriage, the sum shall be one thousand guineas, as originally pro- posed by T. M. Thus standsthe matter. If we hear no more from you, we shall conclude that you decline pro- ceeding farther init: if the contrary be the case, you can write to me at my own house. In this latter alterna- tive, you will do well to use the invisible ink: for although Sir J. would never dream of opening any correspondence addressed to me, it is as well to guard against impertinent curiosity on the part of menials. I told you in my note of this morning that I shall see T. M. to-morrow evening: I hope to, hear from you by that time. cof Fs Fide “Now, then, all mystery is cleared up in respect to the certificate’ exclaimed Page, when he had brought the perusal of this letter to an end; “and it does not prove a marriage. On the contrary, it shows that the present King and your aunt were never united by any legal ceremony—at least up to the period when that paper was signed.” “Let us put our original half against the copy of the other one,” said Julia, “and see how the whole reads.” “We will,” returned Page: and, having followed his wife’s suggestion, he found that the memorandum or certificate ran in the ensuing terms :— “ TaKE notice, all yewhomit may concern, and know ye, all men, by these presents, that I the undersigned, George Prince of Wales, do hereby declare and acknowledge that I do now take and solemnly consider to be my wife in the sight of an all-seeing heayen and before God, the likewise undersigned Miss Hannah Lightfoot, whom I sincerely, tenderly and devotedly love with all iny heart and with all my soul, and who fully as sincerely, tenderly, and devotedly loveth me in return, with all her true heart and all her soul : and know likewise, all persons whom it may concern, that I do solemnly and sacredly bind and pledge myself, before God and in the sight of an all-seeing heaven, that when the will of the Almighty shall so dispose the heart of my august and well-beloved father as to grant his royal and paternal assent and most gracious permission to the proper celebration of my marriage with the unffersigned Miss Hannah Lightfoot,— or, in case of perseverance in that refusal which so very sorely grieyes me,—then, on my accession to the royal throne of these realms, on my sire’s demise (which God long prevent) I declare that I will, without delay, make her my wife aud Queen: —and in token that we do already consider ourselyes to be husband and wife, we have jointly and severally set our hands to this document, in the presence of a competent witness, this third day of April, One Thousand seyen hundred and fifty seven. “ Witness, * WILLIAM STAMFORD, Bart. “ Well,” remarked Page, as soon as he had read aloud this singular document, “it is no wonder that the King is sometimes crazy. A pretty load of per- jury he has got upon his conscience. The whole man, were this document made public. GEORGE P. HANNAH LIGHTFOOT.” “And what do you propose to do?” inquired Julia. “ There are two distinct lines of action open to us,” answered Page, after a few minutes’ deep _ country would raise its voice in execration of such a! cogitation. * One is to sell our half of the certi- But that is| ficate to that Mr. Meagles of whom you spoke this You, who have seen the | —— not our game. We care nothing about the morality | morning: the other is to try and get the remaining of the thing; all we want is to make money.” | half into our possession, and then dispose of the |S ee ee 2 ae eee ee ee eee eee COMmicloOokS. conn