Penny Blood Serial Fiction — page 312: what you’re looking at

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

THE AMAZON AND TIM MEAGLES 295 us a Marquis of Bellois to give certain curious information to Mr. Timothy Meagles.’” ‘“ What do you mean? ”’ inquired the Amazon, animated with the most lively curiosity. ““T mean that eight years ago Mrs. Fitzherbert visited France,’ replied Meagles; ‘“‘ and that at Plombieres she became acquainted with a nobleman of handsome appearance and elegant manners. I mean also that she fell deeply in love with him, and that she accompanied him to Paris, where in due time a child was born —the issue of this amour. The nobleman to whom I allude was the Marquis of Bellois.”’ ‘““ And is the prince ignorant of this chapter in the life of Mrs. Fitzherbert? ’’ asked Lady Letitia. _“ He has not the remotest suspicion of it,’’ returned Meagles. ‘“ It was in consequence of a quarrel which took place between them at the time, that Mrs. Fitzherbert withdrew to France; and her absence lasted altogether eighteen months. During that interval her amour with the Marquis de Bellois took place; but, fortunately for her, the offspring of the connection was born dead. Scarcely had she recovered from her confinement, when letters from the prince reached her, imploring that she would return to Hngland. She assented, and the French nobleman was abandoned by his beautiful mistress. Nearly seven years have elapsed since Mrs. Fitzherbert thus came back to the prince; and now the marquis has himself arrived in London. He is a gambler, a debauchee, an unprincipled profiigate; and he is in possession of letters proving his connection with Mrs. Fitzherbert. I have seen and read them; and the marquis intends to convert them into a means of replenishing a purse which extravagance has emptied. ‘Those papers, Letitia,’ added Meagles, emphatically, ‘‘ you and I must purchase. With a thousand pounds I will undertake to secure them.”’ ‘And I will guarantee to furnish you with the requisite amount in the course of the week, Tim,’’ answered the Amazon. “ At the same time, I do not foresee any particular advantage in possessing weapons which, in all probability, you will never have to use against Mrs. Fitzherbert.”’ ‘ Let us provide our bow with as many strings as possible, my dear Letitia,’ observed Meagles. ‘‘ Who can tell what may happen? The king may die soon, and our friend George, eonnicbooks (C©)