The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 99: what you’re looking at

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

THE MILLINER AND HER MASTER G7 I feel in a humour to talk over our affairs to-night. So speak out, and don’t be afraid.” ‘“ Well, then,’’ resumed Mrs. Brace, “ if I had taken a lord or a well-born gentleman to live openly with me, I should not have been deserted by one of my old friends and numer- ous patrons, no, nor yet by my lady customers in the milli- nery department. But they will never forgive me for having raised a footman from the kitchen to the parlour.” ‘Then curse them for all their impudence!”’ growled Dray, savagely. “ Ah! it is very easy to curse them,” exclaimed Mrs. Brace, warming with her subject; ‘‘ but curses won’t re- plenish the till in the shop, nor put gold into my private purse, and at the rate which you are going on, we shall soon be ruined — utterly ruined. Do you know how much money — hard cash, I mean — you have had of me during the few weeks of our connection in this manner? ”’ ‘Oh, I suppose you keep an account, then? ”’ said Dray, gloomily. ‘To be sure I do,”’ returned Mrs. Brace, “ and I can tell you that between three and four thousand pounds have been lost by you at the gaming-table, in addition to the extravagant mode of living which you have introduced into the house. Things can’t go on as they are, and I am there- fore glad you are in a humour to talk over our affairs to- night.” “TI am infernally out of sorts,” said Dray, who really looked very unwell and sat uneasily in his chair, “ and I suppose that it’s because I am not well that I have got gloomy ideas in my head. Come, I’ll forgive you for what you told me about elevating a footman from the kitchen to the parlour, and I’ll reason with you tranquilly and quietly Over our position and our plans. What would you ad- vise?”’ ) » “ Let us leave the country and go to America,” said Mrs. Brace. ‘I am sick and tired of England; besides, there is the constant danger,”’ she added, a deep gloom suddenly Overspreading her countenance, “of a discovery —”’ “Hush! I know what you mean, I should be a fool if I didn’t,” interrupted Frederick Dray. Then, with a signifi- cant look, he added, ‘‘ And you know, my dear, you had some very serious thoughts of bolting off to America and (COMMUCG OOO) <S (GO)