The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 390: what you’re looking at

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

mm rm 376 THE MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. “Thank you, Emmerson,” said the Earl, care- lessly. “I have not long breakfasted. But what news in the City ?” ‘*‘ Why, would your lordship believe it—that con- ceited little humbug Mr. Under-sheriff Fire has ac- tually got made an Alderman; and Tibbs, who has so long managed the revenues of the ward of Guz- zleton, has been obliged to resign at last. But what is the business that has procured me the honour of a call from your lordship this forenoon ?’’ ‘You remember, Emmerson,” said the Earl, “that when I called upon you two or three months ago about some little money matters, you seemed to think that I had a great many promissory notes and bills of exchange in the hands of different per- sons: and if I recollect right, I told you at the time that General Beechy, young George Sefton, Paul Dysart, aud Colonel Malpas, amongst others, had all asked me to become security for them ?” “TY recollect perfectly well the conversation to which your lordship alludes,” said Emmerson, who had by this time recovered all his wonted business- | like composure, although he perceived plainly enough into what channel the discourse was about to be turned: but he was ready prepared with the tale agreed upon between himself and Editha. “ Now, it struck me at the time,” continued the Earl, “that you were rather incredulous when I as- sured you that I had refused to have anything to do with all those persons.” “J certainly had reason, as [ thought,” said 'm- merson coolly, “to doubt your lordship’s word at the time of which we are speaking: inasmuch as at that very moment when you assured me that you had given no acceptances at all, I had in my cash- box several bills bearing your lordship’s name, to the tune of five thousand guineas.” “Ah!” ejaculated the Earl, with a sort of subdued chuckle: for he now fancied that he was once more in the right track to bring all her guilt home to the faithless Editha. “ I suppose then, Emmerson, you discovered those bills to be forgeries?” he ad- ded inquiringly. “ Yes, my lord, they were forgeries indeed,” re- turned Emmerson; ‘‘and it was that scoundrel Malpas who forged them. But I thought that by this time you would have learnt——” “Malpas forged them!” interrupted the Earl, looking very hard at the bill-broker. “Surely you must mistake? That he placed them in your hands, is one thing: but that he himself perpetrated the forgeries, is another.” “In this very office, my lord,’ said Kmmerscn, with increasing effrontery, “did Colonel Malpas, when taxed by me with the forgery, confess his guilt and implore my mercy. Of course I did not wish to send him to the scaffold; and therefore | allowed him to compromise the affair by making a simple debt of it: and for that debt he is now a pri- soner in the King’s Bench.” “ And you therefure gave him up the bills?” satd the Earl of Curzon inquiriugly. * How is this, my lord?” ejaculated Emmerson with well-assumed astonishment. ‘“ Is it possible that your lordship never received those bills But ef course you have: otherwise how could you have obtained any koowledge of the matter at all?” “Now, pray expiain yourself, Exmmerson,” said the Earl, beginning to feel strangely bewildered onee more, as if the mystifications of the previous ————-- = =. ——— ee eee night were to be perpetuated during the day and to follow him from the West End even into the heart of the City. “The history of the bills is plain and simple ’ ' enough,” returned Emmerson, “I had already | endorsed those bills in order to pay them into my banker’s hands, when I discovere@ that they were forgeries. Although willing to avoid instituting | a criminal process against Colonel Malpas, and to | hush up the matter, I nevertheless thought, on mature reflection, that you ought to be informed © of it. I aceordingly proceeded tu Grosvenor Sireet | to see your lordship on the subject. Youwere not however within: but her ladyship the Countess — was at home and disengaged. ‘Time being valuable to me, and not choosing to run the chanee of call- ing three or four times without seeing your lord- ship, I took the liberty ot requesting an interview with her ladyship, to whom I explained all that had occurred. Her ladyship was frightened lest the matter should breed some desperate quarrel between Malpas and your lordship, and end ina duel: she therefore suggested that it would be better to allow some little time to elapse, during which she undertook to seize some favourable opportunity to mention the whole transaction guardedly to your lordship. Well satisfied with this proposition, and acknowledging its prudence, I at once declared my readiness to leave the whole matter in the hands ofherladyship. I had not the bills with me at the time: but immediately on my return to Nicholas Lane, I enclosed them to her ladyship in an envelope marked ‘ Private.’ And now, my lord, you have the whole histery of the transaction.” “ Yes,” stammered Curzon, scarcely able to con- ceal his astonishment at this uuexpectei explana- tion: “and I must admit that you acted very handsomely in the business.” “T presume that if the Countess of Curzon has not already mentioned the affair to your lordship, it has been for want of a suitable opportunity or else through oversight.” “T suppose it must be so,’ remarked Curzon, not knowing what to say and scarcely what to think: but still he was as far as ever from enter- taining the remotest suspicion that Emmerson had become his wife’s paramour. Taking his leave, he issued forth from the money-lender’s office and was about to remount his horse, when he was suddenly accosted by a well-dressed and good-looking young man whose countenance appeared to be familiar to him. “My lord,” said this individual, “will you ex- guse me for venturing to give your lordship a piece of advice ?—but I conjure you to be careful in your dealings with that hypocritical miscreant Emmerson + “Ah!” ejaculated the Earl: “the advice is startling, but perhaps well meant. Who are you? { have seen your face before.” “Your lordship has seen me in that very office,” was the response: and the young man glanced over his shoulder towards the door of Emmerson’s place of business. “Yes—l recollect you now,” exclaimed the Earl: “your name is Varian.” “And if the world has heard of my crimes, it knows little of my misfortunes,” said the young man, bitterly. “If I were a culprit who deserved = + - - - ’ CORNIECLOOOKS | | | g(0) (