The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 98: what you’re looking at

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— a SSS sss ssc THE This latter suggestion was immediately adopted ; and when the bags had been conveyed to the empty chamber on the ground-floor and ranged upon the mantel-piece in such a fashion that Mr. Page could embrace the entire array with one gloating glance, he said, “ Now, my pretty Julia, we must decide upon our future proceedings. In me you behold acom- mercial traveller of high respectability and old stand- ing—capable of giving the most satisfactory re- ferences.. I am unmarried—and have long wanted a wife. What do you say? Can you be happy as Mrs. Page? If so—the bargain is soon struck and the fortune need not be divided.” “Well—if you’re willing to take me as I am,” responded the young woman unhesitatingly, “ I’m sure I cannot object to take you as you are. But we must leave this place together—I mean that we must not separate till the—the——” “Till the knot is tied—eh, Julia?’ added Mr. Page, throwing his arm around her waist and im- printing a kiss upon her lips—which latter process made him aware of the fact that she had recently partaken of a liquor smelling marvellously like gin: but he was not disposed to be over nice under the circumstances. “Yes—that is what I meant,’ she observed. “ If you are going to make a lady of me, the sooner the better. But my father was a gentleman once, by all accounts,’ added Julia, with some degree of mourn- fulness in her tone, as her thoughts were thus sud- denly brought back to the memory of her deceased parent. “ By the bye, what is your surname, my dear ?” inquired Page. “ Lightfoot,” was the answer. “T thought so!” ejaculated the commercial tra- veller. “What do you mean?” demanded the young woman. “ Do you know anything about us?” “Yes—something—but no matter now,” replied Page. “ We will talk of all that by and bye. For the present we have other business to think of. Stay here we cannot—those villains next door would find me out: and yet how to leave the house until your father is buried iz “T have already given directions relative to the funeral, which will take place as privately as pos- sible three days hence,” interrupted Julia. “In the meantime we can remain together: for even if you had not come here to-night and I had never known you, I should not have stayed any longer in the house with the corpse.” “Come, then,” said Page: “ we will depart at once. If you have a good strong piece of cord, I will fasten four of these bags round my waist, and my mantle will coverthem. The other two youcan carry under your shawl or cloak, whichever you possess.” “* Stay one moment,” exclaimed Julia; and, quit- ting the room, she hastened up-stairs. In about a minute she retufned, wearing her bon- net and cloak, and carrying a small bundle in her hand. She likewise brought a piece of rope, wherewith the commercial traveller slung four of the bags round his body. The young woman took charge of the re- mainder of the treasure; and when she had ascer- tained, by peeping forth from the front door, that the coast was clear, she and her companion quitted the house together. On emerging from the court, Page directed Julia to guide him by the nearest route towards Tower MYSTERIES. 53 Hill, where they entered a hackney-coach, which drove them, according to the instructions given, to a tavernin Farringdon Street. There they took up their quarters for the night; inasmuch as the com- mercial traveller knew very well that he would not be allowed to introduce his female friend to the George and Blue Boar, Holborn. On the ensuing morning, shortly after nine o’clock, Mr. Page and Julia Lightfoot crossed over the way to the Fleet Prison; and in that establishment they speedily found a parson, who, for the handsome re- compense of half-a-crown and a gallon of ale, tied the matrimonial knot and pronounced the nuptial benediction. For at that period Fleet marriages were lawful; and thus the couple who had only known each other a few hours, were made indissolubly one, The reader may perhaps be startled at the circum- stance of this ceremony taking place while the corpse of Julia’s father was yet above the grounds: but she was anxious on her part to nail a husband while he was in the humour to take her and who, as she termed it, could “ make a lady of her;” while he, on the other hand, was equally solicitous to establish a right to that treasure which, until the nuptials were celebrated, belonged wholely and solely to the young woman. Thus all feeling of delicacy was superseded by selfish interest on either side. As soon as the marriage-rites were thus per- formed by a drunken parson, assisted by an insolvent prize-fighter who fulfilled the duties of clerk, and in the presence of three or four male and female prisoners who attended as witnesses, Mr. and Mrs, Page drove into Southwark, where they took a genteel lodging, at which we must leave them for the present. CHAPTER XXIV. THE FATHER AND DAUGHTERS. Ir is now necessary that we should return to Uctavia Clarendon, at the moment when, having taken leave of Lord Florimel who had escorted her home in the manner already described, she en- countered Pauline at the garden gate. But the instant that she met her sister’s gaze, the blood gushed in a full tide to her countenance, be- fore so pale; and the words that she would have uttered seemed to rise like a torrent of lava to her throat — remaining there with suffocating effect, and unable to obtain utterance. “Octavia—my beloved Octavia, restrain your feelings,’ said Pauline, speaking in low hurried tones, asshe waved her handkerchief as a signal to Lord Florimel whom she beheld looking forth from the window of the hackney-coach at a little distance. “All is well—our father suspects not your ab- sence,” she added with equal haste. “Q Pauline! do you not despise your sister?” murmured Octavia, now recovering the powers of her voiee. “ For God’s sake, talk not thus!” was the young maiden’s rapid adjuration, as she led the way into the house, followed by her sister. They ascended to their bed-chamber, where Oc- tavia threw aside her bonnet and shawl: then, fling- ing herself into Pauline’s arms, she burst into tears. “Not aword relative to anything that has oc- Com Clooolkks.conn