The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 100: what you’re looking at

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

THE MILLINER AND HER MASTER rar 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, J 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.” ‘“T 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 (SO) COnnICLOoOKS