Penny Blood Serial Fiction — page 291: what you’re looking at

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

274 THE COURT OF LONDON now exhibiting; ‘for how could we possibly hush up this most unpleasant affair, without paying Hodson and Morley’s claim upon the deceased? They knew that your Royal Highness owed Foster the money.” ‘“ Ah! I see,’ observed the prince, in a tone of vexation. “Well, it can’t be helped, Tim. I have just left half a dozen good fellows in the banqueting-room, and you shall join us. We intend to keep it up till three in the morning, and shall put your services in requisition for the curacoa punch. Come! ”’ “Your Royal Highness will excuse me this evening,” said Meagles, who for the first time in his life felt indisposed to mix in conviviality. ‘Ah! I presume you have some little love-affair in hand,”’ exclaimed the royal voluptuary. ‘“ Well, I wish you success. Let me see you to-morrow.’ And having shaken hands with his friend, the prince returned to his companions in the banqueting-room, where he passed the greater portion of the night in dissipation; but during the many hours that thus elapsed, the heartless miscreant never once bestowed another thought upon the Fosters! Tim Meagles retired to his own lodgings in a pensive mood, the image of the orphan Rose being uppermost in his mind. But the reader will have observed that, during his in- terview with the prince, he never once alluded to her, nor even intimated that there was such a being in existence. Gomicbooks (E(0)