The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 345: what you’re looking at

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

330 TIE MYSTERIES, ulated as unrestrainedly as the wine. ‘I’ne Prince pressed his lips, hot with the breath of lust, to the rich red mouths that were moistened with the generous juice of the grape; and on his fevered brow and burning cheeks those courtezans of the Opera imprinted their harlot kisses. Presently the musician, obedient to a signal which he gave her, returned to the piano: and while the glorious instrument was made to desecrate itself by pouring forth its rich strains in a libidineus measure, the dancing-virls united their voices in| the obscene air to which it belonged, The orgie was thus at its height—and the Prince of Wales was joining ia the ribald song,—when the door was suddenly thrown open, and a page an-— nounced—* The King !” Heavens! what a scene of confusion instanta- neously followed—and what a spectacle was this to greet the eyes of a monarch and a father! The musician sprang with a shriek from the piano—the two girls started with responsive screams from the knees of the Prinee—the rest fluttered | round the table, not knowing how to act and wish- ing the floor would open and swallow them up: here a champagne-glass was dropped and broken— there a bottle was overturned with a clattering din —and a fruit-dish, being upset in the hurry and. bewilderment of the scene, scattered its contents — upon the door. King George IJI stood aghast! The consterna- tion of mingled horror and amazement was ex-< pressed upon his naturally stolid countenance— his hands were spread out fan-like from his wrists —his eye-balls glared wildly—and his whole atti-. tude was so absurd in its indignation, that, were he not the British Sovereign, he would have been sa- luted with peals of laughter instead of received - with looks of dismay. astounded by this sudden apparition of his august father that he remained transfixed to his seat, staring vacantly upon him : but suddenly recover- ing some portion of his presence of mind, he started up and waved his hand imperiously to the ballet- girls to withdraw. ‘This tacit but unmistakable command recalled them also from their bewilder- ment and confusion: and, as if seized with a pani¢e ’ terror, they rushed towards the door communicat- ing with an inner room,—their gauze drapery flut- tering airily—their supple and exquisitely formed limbs moving glancingly, and the nymph-like light- ness of their forms acquiring a soaring appearance, as they fled—or rather flew—like a bevy of af- frighted fairies from the presence of some uncouth mortal who had intruded upon their sacred retreat. The apartment was thus cleared of the courtezans of the Opera—and the Prince of Wales found him- self alone with the King: for the page who escorted his Majesty thither, had prudently retired the mo- ment he caught a glimpse of the aspect of affairs. Covered with shame—half tipsy with the generous juice of Epernay which he had imbibed—and not knowing whether to assume an air of contrition or defiance, the Prince of Wales stood balancing him- self by holding on to the back of the chair whence he had risen, and gazing vacantly on the countenance of the King who was looking fully as stupidly at him. “ Dreadful—horrible—dreadful!” at length ejacu- Jated the monarch. “£ couldn’t have believed it, George—I couldn’t have believed it. Knew you were wild—bnut didn’t think you were so bad as this: no—didn’t think it for a moment. Wouldn’t have believed it if any one had told meso. But I can’t stop in this room—no, not in this room. It smells of wine and orgies—and drunken dissipation—and all that kind of thing. Come, sir—lead me else- where, that { may speak a few words without having my nose oilended—wose offended,” reiterated his Majesty, applying his forefinger and thumb to his nasal promontory and holding the tip with an ex- ‘pression of deep disgust, * Be pleased to walk this way, site,” saidthe Prince of Wales, endeavouring with all his might to steady both his legs and his ideas: but feeling that he was | searcely able to keep upom the former and thiat the latter were whirling in ehaotie confusion, he mut- tered to himself, as he threw open the door by which the King hhad originally entered the room, “It’s no use—i’m as drunk as damnation!” “ih !—what? what?” ejaculated his Majesty, turning sharply and suddenly round just as he was | crossing the threshold: “ what was that you said, sir—ch ?” ‘“‘J ventured to observe, sire,” answered the Prince, endeavouring to look as sober as he eould,—* that our little revel deserves some extenuation.’’ “ Ah!—ah!—yes—I caught the ation,” cried the King, looking his son very hard in the face; “ but I thought that it formed part of some other word. Well—and what excuse have you—eh ?— what excuse——” “Simply, most revered sire,” returned the Prince, assuming all the vatant gravity of semi-intoxication, |— “simply that those young ladies had come to | sing ‘God save the King!’ which we were indeed practising at the moment when your ¥ |in upon us: and the words of the nation The Prince of Wales was for a few moments so- Majesty broke al anthem— hic—had filled us so full of loyalty, that we were obliged to drink your Majesty’s health in bum- pers.” “Hem! well—it may be so—it may be so,” said the King, surveying the Prince suspiciously: “and I hope it is for your sake. But when I think of it, how was it that two of the girls were seated on your knees, sir—seated on your knees—eh ?” “Oh! may it please your Majesty, that was to show me how to beat time accurately,” replied the Prince of Wales. ‘“ Beat fiddlestick!” exclaimed the King: but not choosing to prolong this portion of the discourse, he hurried from the apartment where the orgie had taken place and accompanied his scape-grace son to another room in the splendid mansion. Gazing around him as he took the seat which the Prince officiously placed for his accommodation, the King’s eye was speedily offended by certain pictures and statues which ornamented the apartment, and which, without being absolutely indelicate, might certainly have been more decent. : “ Hey-dey!” exclaimed his Majesty: “am I in Carlton House—or in a luxurious brothel? *Pon my word, George, your taste is very vicious—very vicious indeed. What means that naked woman there in the great picture between the windows—eh, sir? Come—speak !” “Jt is Venus rising from the ocean, my dear father,’ answered the Prince of Wales; “and it is considered a perfect master-piece.” “ Master-piece, indeed !~-master fiddlestick !” ex- (C(O) Cc 6)(0)(0) im (C(O) Sc