The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 108: what you’re looking at

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

—- eee THE MYSTERIES OF THB COURT. ** My dear Clarine,” she said, “you are in euch a frame of mind that I do not like to leave you by youreelf for so many long, long hours. There is always consolation in the companionship of friendship: suffer me to pass the night with you ?”” Sudden was the start, and for an instant sin- gular and unaccountable was the look, with which Clarine received that kindly meant proposition: then, the next moment winding her arms about Zoe's neck, she murmured, “ No, my dear friend | Think mo not ungrateful—think not that I fail to eppreciate your generous kindness: but it will be better for me to be alone with my own thoughts— to commune with myself—and to study well the pathway which I have henceforth to pursue!” “I beseech you, Clarine,” persisted Zoe, “to grant me my request. The night is gloomy—the weather has changed since the morning—the wind is moaning round and through the old Chateau; No. 65.— FOURTH SERIES : : Hh | Me (RP PEL — : i Lt ————_ Ne = fi. _— = i “== and when the mind is attenuated by sorrowful htg=—~’’ “Ob, I have no superstitious terrors!” ejacu- lated Clarine quickly. dear friend, for your kindness—a thousand thanks! —but I will pass the night alone——And perhaps to-morrow—to-morrow,” she repeated, with a singularly anguished and abstracted look, “ I shall be more resigned—I shall be all the better pre- pared to meet my sad, sad destiny !” For an instant it struck Zoe that there was s:mething peculiar—something unnatural or at all events incomprehensibly mysterious in Clarine’s look and manner, as well as in her tone: but when Mademoiselle Volney had embraced her and hurried forth from the apartment, Lady Octavian thought within herself, “It is the bitterness of her affliction which renders her thus strange. Alas! grief does indeed at times produce eccentric aberrations of the reasun; and, poor Clarine! she co 2. mi. om | | i * A thousand thanks, my © Lf G OVO) (CO Lf