The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 169: what you’re looking at

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

a ee tC LLL LLL LLL LL LLL LLL ALLL ALLL, he took the. hand which the Prine e of Wales held out to him. The lady returned his salutation with cold courtesy, and resumed her seat. The Prince threw himself upon a sofa, and invited Meagles to take a chair, inquiring at the same time whether he had breakfasted. “ Yes—hours ago,” was the answer: “and since then I have been gathering all the intelligence I could scrape together respecting ——” He stopped, and glanced towards the lady. “You may continue, sir,” said Mrs. Pitzherbert. “His Royal Highness has no seerets with me,” she added in a dignified manner. “It is all true—just as I told you,” proceedéd Meagles, addressing himself to the Prinee. The King has communicated to the Ministers his desire that your Royal Highness should espouse the Princess Caroline of Brunswiek: the Cabinet as- sembled yesterday afternoon and discussed the question ;—and it was agreed to retain the affair a secret for ashort time longer. But somehow or another the rumour got afloat in the eyening—and now it is known to be correct.” “Upon my honour,” exclaimed the Prince, indig- nantly, “my august father has a magnificent notion of the way to eater for his son’s happiness 5 —and Mr. Pitt and his friends in the Cabinet dis- pose of the destinies of the heir-appareat to the throne with as much coolness asa magistrate dis- plays when he eonimits a vagrant to the House of Correction.” “Tt will be your fault if you submit tamely to these indignities,’ said Mrs. Fitzherbert, empha- tically. “The contemplated alliance beeomes the talk of the town even before the faintest hint hag been dropped to yourself.” “It is too bad,” returned the Prince, ™ But what more have you heard, Meagles ? Tell us everything, and without reserve: Mrs. Fitzherbert will be all the better pleased with you.” “There is a report that your Royal Highnéss’s private affairs were also discussed yesterday at the Cabinet Council,” said Tim: “and I know that the rumour is correct.” “What was mooted?—and how are you aware that the story is true?” demanded the Prince, with feverish impatience, and with a hasty glance at Mrs. Fitzherbert. “Tn the first place,’ answered Meagles, “it is said that Mr. Pitt proposed to his colleagues a scheme for the settlement of the debts contracted by your Royal Highness, and which project will be submitted to Parliament when it meets next month. Secondly, IT am sure that such was the case, because the editor of the Government evening paper is an intimate friend of mine; and I have been with him this morning. There'll appear an article, in the shape of what may be termed a ‘ feeler,’ in to-night’s edition.” * Even the very scrubs of the press receive such important intelligence earlier than I,” exclaimed the Prince, in a tone which proved how deeply he was mortified. “It is the most underhand thing I ever knew in all my life.” “T can assure you that my friend Percy Booth, the editor, is no serub,” said Meagles, somewhat annoyed at the supercilious manner in which his Royal Highness spoke of the gentlemen of the press collectively, and consequently of him individually, TOE MYSTERIES. “He i is a fine fellow —will doa good action—sings a capital song—and is a famous hand with the cloves.” “No insult was intended to your friend, sir,” ob- served Mrs. Fitzherbert, whose sensitiyeness was shoeked at the idea of a man’s amiable qualities being summed up in the singing of bacchanalian airs and in pugilistie skilfulness. “So much the better, madam,” said Meagles, who saw that Mrs. Fitzherbert could barely tole- rate his presence: and, by way of retaliation, he remarked, “ By the bye, your Royal Highness will be delighted with a certain French nobleman who longs to be presented to you. Heisa refu- eo “Ahtf indeed,” exclaimed the heir-apparent, fancying that Meagles was adopting this indirect mode of letting him know that he had discovered another rich emigrant, who, like the Marquis of St. Croix, would be glad to entrust his money to the prineely keeping. “I shall be pleased to show suitable attention to any French nobleman whe has suffered through devotion to his Sovereign. What is the name “of your new foreign acquaint- ance ?” “ The Marquis of Bellois,’ responded Meagles ;— and he threw a furtive glanee towards Mrs, Fitz- herbert to notice the effect which the mention of this name would have upon her. She turned ashy pale, and for an instant appeared to reel upon her Chair, as if seized with a sudden vertigo: but recovering herself the next moment, she datted a rapid look at Meagles, to ascertain whether he had any sinister meaning in thus intro- ducing the name of that nobleman. Theiy eyes met, and were instantaneously ayerted; —aiid while tice lady affected to be arranging her brooch, Meagles glanced towards the Prince. His Royal Highness had not observed the momentary confusion on the part of Mrs. Fitzherbert, nor the rapid looks that followed it: for he had fallen into a profound reverie, the matrimonial project de- vised by his father having sorely troubled him. “Yes,” continued Meagles, who was determined to convinee Mrs. Fitzherbert that she must not hope to domineer over him or treat him with con- tempt in fature,—* this Marquis of Bellois is a very nice man, and must have been uncommonly hand- some a few years ago. But Lam afraid he is rather dissipated—indeed, that he is given to gambling. If so, he will find plenty of English sharks ready to prey upon him.” “We were discussing more important matters, I think, Mr. Meagles,” said Mrs. Fitzherbert, who had now recovered her self-possession: for a few mo- ments’ reflection had led her to believe—or rather to flatter herself—that the Marquis of Bellois was too high-minded and generous a man to have betrayed her secret to Mr. Timothy Meagles. “We will return to the former topic, madam, since such is your pleasure,’ observed this indi- vidual. But, by the bye, the Marquis informed me that he had the hononr of becoming acquainted with you, during your residence at Plombiers, and after- wards in Paris, several years ago.” An ice-bolt seemed to shoot through the heart of Mrs. Fitzherbert, as Tim Meagles uttered these words in a measured tone, and with his gaze fixed intently upon her countenance. She felt that she was once more turning deadly pale—that her lips quivered— — ——— COMA (ElOoOO KS. EOK