Penny Blood Serial Fiction — page 171: what you’re looking at

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

154 THE COURT OF LONDON Germain unlocked the door communicating with the secret stairs, and then withdrew. In two or three minutes the sound of voices, mingled with subdued laughter, reached the ears of the prince, who started up in his bed, muttering to himself in a tone of vexation, ‘‘ That damned fool Meagles is up to some of his tricks again —- and yet I enjoined him to come alone! ” Searcely had he thus giver vent to his annoyance, when the door which Germain had so recently unlocked was opened, the velvet curtain covering it was thrust aside, and a gentleman made his appearance. But instead of immediately advancing to pay his respects to the prince, he held the drapery back from the door until the person by whom he was accompanied had likewise emerged from the secret staircase and had entered the chamber. But ere we allow these newcomers to proceed a step farther, we must tell the reader something about them. First and foremost, then, we introduce to public notice Mr. Timothy Meagles, or, as his friends called him, plain Tim Meagles. He was an individual of about thirty years of age, — short in stature, of slight and dapper build, but endowed with great physical strength. His face was marked with the smallpox; but he had expressive blue eyes, a fine set of teeth, and an enormous pair of well-curled auburn whiskers, so that he could not be pronounced positively ugly. It is true that his hair was of a fiery red, and that there was something coarse, if not actually vulgar, in the expression of his countenance; nevertheless, he was not without his admirers amongst the fair sex, and when he rode his splendid iron gray in the park, he received a gracious bow from more than one lady of quality. Amongst the noblemen and gentlemen of fashion he was a special favourite, — not merely because he was known to enjoy the friendship of the prince, but likewise because he was a very good fellow in many ways. For if any one required a second in a duel, to whom could he better apply than Tim Meagles? If an umpire were wanted at a prize-fight or a pigeon-match, who was more competent than Tim Meagles? Behold him on the race-course — or out with the hounds — and it would do your heart good to contemplate the spirit with which the sport was entered into by Tim Meagles. Again, who could sing a better song or make a more fluent speech aiter (Eo paylicel eveKe) .<S (ele)