The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 64: what you’re looking at

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

LL tet lett ea tlh THE MYSTERIES OF TILE COURT. 47 were seen under the lappels of her coat : she wore a stand-up shirt collar, and had a shawl necker- chief tied with a care that Beau Brummel might have envied. She had on black pantaloons; and possessing a remarkable straightness and evident symmetry of limbs, that portion of her masculine garb becaine her admirably. Patent-leatler boots, - the brilliant gloss of which even now shone brightly through the dust. that was upon them, set off her long narrow feet to great advantage ; and the clinking spurs gave her a sort of semi- military appearance. Her hair which was of raven blackness, appeared when she took off her hat to be combed back from the high and open forehead, and though not worn very long, fell in rich and natural waves over. her ears and to the lower edge of the collar of the coat, so that in fact it was not longer than the hair of many - fashionable youths at the West End of London. She wore a pair of delicate buckskin gloves, and carried a handsome riding-whip in her hand. We have already said that this woman’s fea- tures, though exceedingly handsome, were largely chiselled and somewhat coarse. This was espe- cially observed in the mouth, the lips being full, yet not with that sweet pouting expression which gives a charm to such fullness of lips in woman. Ofa rich and moist red, they were not merely luscious but strongly sensual lips; yet when parted they revealed teeth faultlessly even aud white as ivory. When first casting the eve upon her, and ere the delusion as to her sex was thoroughly cleared up, the absence of beard or whisker was not immediately noticed in conse-. quence of the olive duskiness of her complexion, which gave her a masculine air: and then too that bold and hardy gaze which she invariably fixed upon any stranger the moment she encountered one, likewise tended to sustain the idea of the sex whose apparel she had assumed. Her age might be about twenty-five or twenty-six; but when considered in her male appirel, she at once struck the beholder as being a young man of one-and- twenty. When she spoke, it was in a voice that was strong without being coarse or harsh ; it had all that flute-like power of tone which was also calculated to deceive the observer as to her real sex and sustain the delusion. Who or what she was will hereafter transpire in due course: but at present we can only introduce her to the reader as Lady Bess. On entering the wretched tap-room an expres- sion of disgust flitted across her features: but al- most instantaneously throwing aside that look, she said with a careless smile and in an off-hand manner, ‘‘ Well, you are all deep in your orgie. I suppose it began ere sunset and will last till at least sunrise ?” “Will you sit down and join us ?” asked Chiffin the Cannibal. ‘* No—I have not time,” responded Ledy Bess, beating one of her legs negligently with the horsewhip as she surveyed the group through the haze of tubacco-smoke. “You never have time,” growled Chiffin in a surly manner. “But Ihave had time, though, to do you a ser- vice,” immediately rejoined Lady Bess: “and when you had just recovered from a long illness I gave you assistance in the hour of your need. I have never asked it back again—I have never wanted it—I would not take it even were it offered: but what I do look for, is civility in return.” “ Lady Bess is right !” exclaimed several voices, all the females joining in without exception. “Come, we will have no disputing,” said the amazonian beauty : then opening the door, she cried out, “Solomon! Where is that scoundrel old Solomon ?” ‘’Here i be, my lady,” answered a fawning ob- Seqnious voice from behind the bar outside. ‘‘ What’s your ladyship’s orders? Bill’s holding your Jadyship’s horse A ‘A truce to so many ladyships,” exclaimed the woman in male attire; “and bring in two erown bowls of punch: and then bid your old wife pre- pare such supper as her larder affords—and charge the whole to me.” “There! didn’t I say her ladyship would come down handsome ?” cried the female who had pre- viously predicted the regale of punch that had just been ordered. “ But wouldn’t it be a greater treat still if Lady Bess would sit down and drink it with us ?” “ To be sure! to be sure!” cried many voices. “But while thanking you for the compliment.” said Lady Bess, ‘‘I have already told you that I have no time. Now, who is there here that will do me a service ?—I mean amongst the men —for it is a message that I wish to send.” Several of the male revellers volunteered ; ahd Lady Bess sweeping her bright eyes over them, as if to select the one whom she most fancied for the purpose, said, I choose you, Tony Wilkins.” The individual to whom she thus addressed hersglf, was a young man of not more than three or four-and-twenty, but whose looks fell very little short of those of any of his companions in their sinister expression and evil nature. He was clad in a squalid garb, and his appearance alto- gether was such that it seemed scarcely credible any person in his senses would have trusted him out of sight to get change for even half-a-crown. Yet it appeared that Lady Bess knew her man, and saw something inshim which convinced her that he would faithfully execute her commission. This surmise on her part seemed fully corro- borated by the zeal with which he had at first vo- lunteered, and the evident pleasure with which he found himself the select object of her choice. “ Now, Tony,” continued Lady Bess, drawing forth a small sealed packet from her pocket, “ you must take this, and run as hard as you can down to King’s Cross. There you will sce a tall gen- tleman enveloped in .a cloak, aud with his hat slouched over his features. He will be lounging about near the statue. You must accost him, aud say, ‘The night is dark.’ He will answer, ‘But it can be made brighter. If be gives you this reply you will at once thrust the little packet into his hand and speed off instantaneously. But should he not give that reply, you will know he is not the individual whom you seek; and you must iook out for another answering the de- scription I have given. However, as it is not likely on this warm summer night that any indi- vidual, unless for a particular purpose, wonld wrap himself up in a cloak, it is next to certain thatthe first whom you meet thus muffled, will be the one for whom the packet is destined. Having per- formed your commission, youcan come back and enjoy your share of the supper I have ordered, I COMIC OOO S (CO)