The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 320: what you’re looking at

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

286 THE COURT OF LONDON myself entirely in your hands, and your reward shall exceed all your expectations.”’ ‘Tt is impossible that you and I can dispose of the body alone,” resumed Harriet, her courage and presence of mind appearing to gain strength in proportion as the feelings of her mistress underwent a painful reaction. ‘‘ We must make a confidant of one of the men-servants,” she added, emphatically. “Oh, Harriet! ’’ murmured Mrs. Brace, shocked at the thought of falling so completely into the power of her domestics; but the next moment an idea struck her, and she exclaimed, “‘ If I mistake not, there is a tolerable good understanding between you and Frederick? ”’ “We keep company together, ma’am,” observed Harriet; for the individual to whom Mrs. Brace had alluded was one of the footmen belonging to that part of her establishment which looked upon St. James’s Square. “ Listen, then, my dear girl,’’ continued the milliner, who now rapidly recovered her own self-possession, inas- much as she saw a means whereby the coéperation and silence of her lady’s-maid and her footman could be alike secured. ‘‘ About the person of the dead man there is no less than a sum of five hundred and fifty guineas, all of which he received from me.” For the reader will remember that in addition to the amount paid by the milliner for the services rendered by Grumley in the affair of Caroline Waters, fifty guineas had likewise been demanded by the constable as one of the conditions on which he liberated the Gallows’ Widow from his custody. “And that sum of which you speak, ma’am?”’ said Harriet, in a tone of inquiring eagerness, as her eyes sparkled with cupidity. “Every farthing shall be yours as a wedding dowry,” replied Mrs. Brace; ‘“ and I will give Frederick a hundred guineas into the bargain. Do you not think he will be happy to marry you upon these terms? ” “‘ Leave it to me to manage,” exclaimed the lady’s-maid, her handsome countenance lighting up with exultation. “This very night shall the dead body be disposed of in such a way— But time wears on,” she cried, hastily interrupting herself, and glancing with a certain degree of eC@nnicloooks (Gx @)