The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 22: what you’re looking at

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

4 THE COURT OF LONDON 37 ‘No more upon that subject, Mr. Page,’’ exclaimed the Marquis de Saint Croix. ‘I deeply regret that I should ever have listened to the insidious and malignant represen- tations of that woman to whose faults my late friend Sir John Lade was so unaccountably blind. I am sorry also that I should ever have persecuted his Royal Highness for the return of money which I did not precisely want, and which I never should want again if the legitimate monarchy were restored in France.” ‘His Royal Highness has been enabled to glean much valuable information, I believe, respecting France, from the English Minister of Foreign Affairs? ”” said the Duke of Villebelle, addressing himself to Mr. Page. “Such is the fact, may it please your Grace,”’ SERS the ex-bagman. ‘ The English government has for a long time past employed numerous secret agents — or in plainer terms, spies — to travel through some parts of France and fix their abodes in other districts, for the purpose of ascer- taining the true feeling of the French people with regard to the existing institutions of the country. The reports that are received at the Foreign Office are numerous and interest- ing; and their contents are regularly, though privately, communicated to the Prince of Wales. From those reports his Royal Highness has gleaned the most encouraging infor- mation with regard to the cause of monarchy in France; and he feels convinced that if the Royalist banner were raised amidst the fields of La Vendée, hundreds of thousands would enthusiastically flock around it.” ‘““Then hurrah for La Vendée! ”’ exelitined the Marquis de Bellois, who, being a man of desperate fortunes and as dissipated as he looked, was ready for any enterprise that seemed to promise an amendment of his circumstances. “Your lordship,” he added, turning toward the Duke of Villebelle, “‘ has managed to bring over a large sum from France, and that will be enough to commence the under- taking. Money constitutes the sinews of war; and your fifty thousand pounds sterling now existing in good English bank-notes, if changed into French five-frane pieces, will raise an army of ten thousand men in a short time. Then the Royalists will rush to our banner; their treasures will be drawn forth from the places where they are concealed or buried; and the accursed Republicans will have to rue the 7 « CONNIEIOOKS