The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 325: what you’re looking at

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

THE DISPOSAL OF THE CORPSE 291 that score. I admitted that Lord Montgomery had seduced me, in the first instance, and that Lord Florimel had after- ward been intimate with me; but none other save your- self — ”’ “Well, well, we won’t quarrel about it, Harriet,” ex- claimed the footman. ‘‘ Come, begin to undress — ” “Oh, but you have not yet answered my question,” interrupted the young woman, impatiently. ‘‘I wish to know whether you would marry me, if we had enough money to set us up in housekeeping? ”’ ‘You really begin to make me suspect that you have either picked up a purse or found a treasure in some nook,”’ said the man-servant; “‘ or else one of your former lovers has promised to give you a dowry. Come, which is it? ”’ ‘“ And suppose it really was something of the sort?” exclaimed Harriet, with an arch smile which displayed her fine teeth and made her large vane eyes look roguish as well as naturally wanton. ‘“ The truth 1 is, my dear girl,”’ responded the self-sufficient footman, caressing his whiskers, ‘‘ and I may as well relieve you of all suspense at once, — I have vowed within myself that I will never bestow my hand upon any young woman who cannot show me a dowry of five hundred guineas. So now there can be.no misunderstanding between us.” “Not at all,” ejaculated the lady’s-maid, overjoyed at the manner in which the conversation was now progressing. ‘‘ To come to the point at once, then, I can put you in the way of obtaining five hundred and fifty guineas this very night, and if you keep your promise and marry me, Mrs. Brace will give you a hundred more.” “* Mrs. Brace! What has she got to do with the matter? ”’ demanded Frederick Dray, turning an incredulous look upon his handsome mistress. ‘Oh, I will explain everything in a moment,” she replied; “but give me the promise.” ‘Well, I swear to marry you upon those conditions,” exclaimed the footman. ‘ Indeed, I shall be most happy to do so, and sha’n’t consider that I’m flinging myself away. But what is required of me in order to earn the five hundred and fifty guineas? — and what the devil has our mis’sus to do with the affair? ” ‘* Listen, and don’t start with astonishment, because you'll (C(O) AG 6)(0)©)