The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 380: what you’re looking at

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

354 THE COURT OF LONDON answered Theodore, “ to think that you would intentionally neglect your kind promise; but I certainly feared that amid your engagements you had overlooked it.”’ “ And did you think so also, Miss Varian?”’ asked Sir Douglas, turning his eyes upon the young damsel. But he gazed not on her as he had been wont to gaze on others of her sex; there was always an expression of respectful admiration in his countenance when he looked upon that fair young ’ ereature, around whom a halo of innocence seemed to dwell. ‘‘ T feared as my brother did,’’ she answered, in a soft tone and with downcast eyes, ‘‘ for I am well aware that a gentle- man in your sphere must have so many things to engag his attention.” , ‘“‘ Ay, but perhaps I think more of my friends when absent from them than you give me credit for,’ he said, good- humouredly. ‘‘ It is not because I remain away from them that they are absent from my thoughts. However, to come to the point, I have seen Mr. Chapman, the wealthy merchant to whom I have alluded, and I fully and frankly explained to him everything. I must tell you that he has established two or three English agencies on the Continent, and it just happens that at this moment the manager of one of these agencies —I forget where he told me it was — has written to him to say that he requires a confidential young man to be sent to him at once, to supply a vacancy that has occurred in the branch establishment which he superintends. The salary is a hundred and fifty pounds a year, rising according to the merits of the individual, and as it is entirely for the English correspondence, a knowledge of foreign languages is not needed as a qualification. This situation, Theodore, is at your service. Indeed, it is yours already, and you have got nothing to do but to take my card and go at once to Lime Street and make the arrangements with Mr. Chapman.” Theodore’s joy knew no bounds, and Ariadne shed tears of gratitude and delight. The brother and sister poured forth their acknowledgments as well as they were able, for their voices were suffocated, and Ariadne’s well-nigh lost altogether, in the fulness of the emotions that swelled their hearts. ‘“ My dear friends, I know you feel all you say, and much more,” exclaimed the baronet, who was himself affected. comicloooks (C(O) im