The Bedford-Row Conspiracy

s Lu

my w

do, Lucy?" uttered Lady, the Miss

s very awkward. And as for John Perkins, he made a start, and then a step forwards, and then two backwards, and then began layi

Mrs. Briggs here?" said Lady Gorgon

Aunt?" said L

quare?" (Lady Gorgon had a house in Baker Street, and a dismal house it was.) "NOT here," continued she, rightly interpreting Lucy's silence, "NOT here?-and may I

emurely away, and awful Lady Gorgon glancing fiercely at her in front. Not mentioning the footman and poodle, what could a poor modest timid girl plead before such an inquisition, especially when she was clearly guilty? Add to this, that as Lady Gorgon, that majestic woman, al

scape that lay in her power. "I will tell you of the-of the circumstances of-of my engagement with this

e there is wet; and, girls, as the day is fine, you will do likewise. Jerningham, you will attend the young ladies. Miss Gorgon, I will thank you to follow me immediately." And so saying, and looking at the crowd with ineffable scorn, and at Mr. Perkins n

rom him, and his delicious tete-a-tete interrupted. He managed, in an inconceivably short space of time, to conjure up half-a-millio

carriage at her own house, and to hear Jerningham's fellow-footman roar to the Gorgonian coachman, "Half-past seven!" at which hour we are, to this day, convinced that Lady Gorgon was going out to dine. Mr. Jerningham's associate having banged to

how it was that the Gorgons were not at church, they who made such a parade of piety; and John Perkins smiled as he passed the chapel, and saw

g home; and half an hour before his arrival had witnessed the entrance of Jerningham, and the three gau

sible delight, he saw a very dirty hackney-coach clatter up to the Gorgon door, out of which first issued the ruby plush breeche

jingling vehicle as best she might. Mr. Jerningham had witnessed the scene in the Park Gardens, had listened to the altercation through the libr

and cry, "La, John!"-had felt her squeeze his arm-had mounted with her into the coach, and

minute longer, and seen this Mr. Perkins, who had so gallantly escaladed the hackney-coa

insist, that you leave the carriage." And when Perkins made some movement (which, not being in the vehicle at the time, we have never been able to comprehend), she suddenly sprang from th

d, with a curious, p

an oath, and uttered the above-mentioned words, "Caroline Place, Mecklenburgh Square," in a tone which I should be inclined

nd down Baker Street, had received a lecture which lasted exactly one hundred and eighty minutes-from

timid and cowering; and when she saw John Perkins (the sly rogue! how well he thought he had managed the trick!) she shrank from him as if he

e passed by the beloved's door, saw lights in the front drawing-room, felt probably that she was there; but he could not go in. Moodily he paced down Dou

t, cold, hashed, grilled bladebone, the fourth being better than the first); but although he usually did rejoice in this meal-ordinarily, indeed, grumbli

"remove this d-- mutton, give me my writi

at Perkins used to dabble in poetry, and ordinarily pr

hastily a

dded, in a hollow, heart-breaking tone of voice, that affected poor Snooks a

action-madness-insanity" (another). "Why did you send me out of the coach in that cruel cruel way? Write to me a word, a line-tell

rkins in full-he couldn

s, in a fearful state of excitement, haggard, wild, and with

he old lady returned with a large packet, Perkins seized it with a trembling

although Lucy is at this moment in bed and unwell: for the poor girl has had a sad scene at her grand uncle's house in Baker Street, and came home very much affected. Rest, however, wi

ou won't challenge him, I know, as he is to b

hn. Do not go QUITE dis

e me your

MA BI

STREET: 11

the utmost disgust and surprise of the engagemen

dignation at the share which Miss Biggs

and the low-born adventurer who has been admitted into her society, and begs to say that L

e ready to come to his house, in Baker Street, where she will be more

. BI

line

nburgh

e fact is, that Sir George had such a transcendent notion of his own dignity and station, that it never for a moment entered his head that his niece, or anybody else connected with him, should take a single step in life without prev

ration that should satisfy him; and vowed too that some of the Gener

poor John was very much flattered by Scully's notice, and began in a very short time to fancy himself a political personage; for he had made several of Scully's speeches, written more than one letter from him to his constituents, and, in a word, a

e frisky twinkling stars attended their queen, who looked with bland round face upon their gambols, as they peeped in and out from the azure heavens. Along Gray's Inn wall a lazy row of cabs stood listlessly, for who would call a cab on such a night? Meanwhile their drivers, at the alehouse near, smoked the short pipe or quaffed the foaming beer. Perhaps from Gray's Inn Lane some broken sounds of Irish reve

urely, for he always went to Bethesda Chapel, and to a select prayer-meeting afterwards. Alas! it WAS Scully; for though that gentleman SAID that he went to chapel, we ha

ould have endeavoured to prepare myself in a way that should have at least shown my sense of the greatness of the subject before the House's consideration, and the nature of the distinguished audience I hav

lent plan it is, for people cannot help believing you at last)-here, I say, Mr. Scully, who had one arm

part of this impromptu was written dropped from his lifted hand, and some of them were actu

ather a forced laugh, when he saw t

n a man of my rank in that way, and disturb me in the midst of very

a matter of the very greatest importan

u had given up that silly scheme. A

s a year, and my clerkship in the Tape an

necure!-Why, good heavens! John Perkins, you don't t

notion of his own merits; "but consider, six months vacation, two ho

gnation, and his eye flashing the purest fire,-"TAKE this clerkship, John Perkins, and sanction tyranny, by becoming one of its agents; sanction dishonesty by sharing in its plunder-do this, BUT never more be friend of mine. Had I a child," said the patriot, clasping his h

pose me to be-I never looked at the matter in this light. I'll-I'll consider of it. I'll tell Crampton that I will give up

l half-hour longer, during which they paced up and down the gravel walk, we shall not

looking particularly pale, melancholy, and thoughtful; and he did not stop until he reached a certain door in Downing

a little old gentleman, some sixty years of age, maternal uncle to John Perkins; a bachelor

"first lord," a few sauntering clerks, and numbers of swift active messengers passed to and fro;-after waiting for four hours, making drawings on the

fire was blazing in the grate, an immense sheet-almanack hung over that, a screen, three or four chairs, and a faded Turkey carpet, formed the rest of the furniture of this rem

ointing to an arm-chair, "I'm told you've been here

ith a comical expression of wonder, John began in a solemn tone to deliver a little spe

" (A grin from Mr. Crampton.) "When first, by your kindness, I was promised the clerkship in the Tape and Sealing-Wax Office, my opinions were not formed as they are now; and having taken the advice of the gentlem

n, bouncing off his chair. "You don't mean to say

, whose blood rose at the word "fool."

f that house of yours? For, by gad, sir, if you give

d thinking himself a very fine fellow. "I have talents, sir, which I hope to cultivate; and am

, and reading novels, and playing the flute, and writing sonnets. You would no more rise at the bar than my messenger, sir. It was because I knew your disposition-that hopeless, careless, irresolute good-humour of yours-that I had determined to keep you out of danger, by placing you in a snug shelter, where the storms of the world wou

, both the ladies and John himself had agreed, with a thousand rapturous tears and exclamations, that he was one of the noblest young men that ever lived, had acted as became himself, and might with perfect propriety give up the place, his talents being so prodigious that no power on earth could hinder him from being Lord Chancellor. Indeed, John and Luc

pton con

riotism. Has not William Pitt Scully,

as, but confessed with deep humiliation that "h

, and tearing off the signature, handed over the documen

s he would not take anything under a... This is absurd. He has a Yorkshire nephew coming up to town, an

s, sir, is some weak invention of the enemy.

don't wish to have you on my hands. We know all the particulars of Scully's history. He was a Tory attorney at Oldborough; he was jilted by the present Lady Gorgon, turned Radical, and fought Sir George in his own borough. Sir George would have had the peer

NNER-PARTY.-Lord So-and-So-Duke of

r neutral, our

M'S ROUT.-W. Pitt S

INNER.'-A Duke-four Lords-'Mr.

how you have bought h

ently, "I am letting you into fearful secrets. The great common end of p

ce, and whispered something, to which the little gentleman

n this room while Lady Gorgon is with me; but there is a little clerk

on, strange to say, little Mr. Crampton sprang up and

it, left the door half open in coming out, and was in time to receive Her Ladysh