The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 17: what you’re looking at

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

as a guest, she hed so often admired, and with every pert of which she was alresdy so familiar. The growing more and more difficult to procure funds for his extravagances, he saw his aristocratic companions who would best suit him. He knew that she was good and virtuous, but that she was ambitious— | to solace himself as well as he was able with the fact that he was still heir to the broad lands and lordly title of Saxondale. But now Ralph Farefield found it no longer pos sible to raise money with the usurers on any terms; and he was involved in the most serious embarrass- ments. All his friends deserted him: but not being able to exist without the companionship of the pro. fligate and the dissolute, he was compelled to seek the society of a lower grade of debauchees than those with whom he had been wont to associate. Thus was he rapidly sinking down in the social scale; and being reduced to positive want, he at penned a letter of contrition to his uncle. E sided altogether with his young wife in Lincolnshire, had not lost sight of his nephew even from that dis- tance : or, more properly speaking, he received from frequent accounts of the young man’s proceedings. These accounts had only tended to confirm him in xf claret. Clifton believe | the loathing and hatred which he had conceived for his own ears; next the graceless debauchee; and he accotdingly re- joking; and then turned Ralph’s letter without a comment. mad. But Lord to the quick by what he termed this heartless insult, that he was neither and goaded to desperation by his necessities, Ralph before the bottle of Farefield began seriously to think of some deadty was duly settled,-—it revenge against his uncle. Nevertheless, the pres- Mies Harriet would sure of circumstances compelled him to go and draw seid to the yuung from Lord Saxondale’s bankers all those arrears of her father introduced notice. | income which he had hitherto escornfully left un- There was no necessity reply | touched; and as more than three years had nov But Lord Saxondale, who since his marriage had re- . eComnicloooks connie