The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 40: what you’re looking at

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

ieee pg: ne THE MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. 25 ——E— a The maiden gave no immediate answer: but she fixed her eyes upon the artist with a mingled expression of reproach and doubt—us if to in- timate that it would be cruel of him to trifle with her feelings, and yet that she could scarcely believe him to be capable of such ungenerous conduct. “Miss Foster, I am serious,” he hastened to ob- serve. “Do not wrong me by a suspicion——" “Oh! pardon me, Mr. Woodfall,” she exclaimed : “but I feared lest in your anxiety to serve me, you might be over-rating your ability—or at least that you fancied others to possess hearts as good and generous as your own, and as willing to afford the friendless orphan a home——” “The Marchioness of Bellenden will receive you with open arms,” interrupted Woodfall, with the solemn seriousness of one who was confident in the assertion he was making. “Your misfortunes will endear He to her: and moreover, even before I knew your name—which I only learnt ere now~ I have spoken of you to her Jadyship——” “Spoken of me! exclaimed the orphan, once more throwing upon the artist a look which if not actually laden with suspicion, was at least mis. trustful enough to give him pain. “Oh! now you doubt me again’ he murmured, in a tone of mingled reproach and vexatiou. “But it is natural—I am a stranger “Once more I beseech you to pardon me,” said Rose: and, yielding to the impulse of that ingena- ous fervour which made her feel that she was but ill-requiting the young man for all his kindness and disinterested attention towards her, she extended her hand, observing, “I was wrong to doubt you even for a moment: aud indeed it was not doubt— but rather amazement and wonder——” “That I should have ever mentioned you to the Marchioness ” exclaimed Woodfal!l, takiug the fair hand of the orphan and pressing it gently in % (CO —_——_— — or EE DOO (CO