The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 384: what you’re looking at

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

ORO, eee eee ee eee eee eee THE MYSTERI“S UF THK COLEK!. ffl fy Hii Hil} gence should be communicated to him until all | proceedings now pending be finished and settled, My dear Laura, what more neod [ urge? what | more need I sayP On the one hand a title and wealth await you: on the other hand a title per- haps, but inevitable poverty. And then you must consider, my dear sister, that you owe some duteousness and gratitude towards me ;—and by assenting to this marriage with Sir John Steward, you will place me beyond the reach of anxious cares for the future.” “* Enough, sister—enough !” said Laura. have nothing to reply to your arguments.” Mrs. Oxenden could scarcely keep back an ex- clamation of wild, tumultuous joy, as interpreting her sister’s response according to her own wishes, she beheld therein the triumph of her schemes. She embraced the young maiden, lavishing caresses upon her: and then she issued from the chamber, with the intimation that she must rejoin Sir John No. 48.—70URTH SERIES. ef fee, Saree ee Y Hii HT 4 f Hh | - = == ae aee — : | . si q 4 hy My} if a 's i AM | } iit Mh i for another half-hour in the drawing-room ere she could retire to rest. When Laura was alone, she wept for a few mo- ments at the thought of having played the hypo- -erite in the presence of her sister, and in having suffered her to depart under a false impression with regard to her sentiments and views. But she soon ceased to trouble and agitate herself on this point ; for naturally ingenuous and truth- loving though she were, yet she could not help feeling that whatsoever duplicity or concealment she had just been practising, was not merely venial, but even justifiable under existing circumstances, Hastily wiping away her tears, ahe sate down to pen her letter to Edgar Beverley. In the meantime Mrs. Oxenden had returned to the drawing-room, where the Baronet was half reclining upon a sofa, sipping a glass of choice liqueur. Mrs. Oxenden placed herself in a chair (CO | near him; and with triumph upon ber countenance, an G DOO (CO