The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 190: what you’re looking at

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

168 THE COURT OF LONDON ‘ Are you not glad, aunt, that Clara is coming?” she inquired, ‘‘and are you not well pleased that she is married so happily? ”’ ‘‘T am indeed well pleased,’’ answered Miss Stanley, as she flung a look upon the letters, with which the coverlid of the bed was strewn, for the perusal of those letters had filled the worthy woman’s mind with the sorest alarm, not merely respecting the welfare, but the integrity, truthful- ness, and honour of her elder niece, Clara. ‘‘ But what secret is it that she has to reveal? ”’ exclaimed Louisa, ‘“‘ and relative to our birth, too! Surely, dear aunt, you are well acquainted with all that? I never thought. there was any mystery at all connected with it. Was not our dear father your brother? Was he not killed in battle during the Flemish campaigns, and did not his loss break our poor mother’s heart? ”’ ‘“ Let us not say another word upon this topic now,” interrupted the aunt. ‘‘ Nor, indeed, will we at present. renew our conversation upon any topic on which we have previously spoken. I am heartily glad that Clara is coming, for all mysteries, such as they are, and whatever they may be, shall and must now be cleared up. Heaven be thanked that Clara is married!’’ added Miss Stanley, thus again giving verbal expression to the relief her mind had experi- enced on her elder niece’s account. COMnniclooo® (CO in