The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 333: what you’re looking at

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

CHAPTER XXX MR. PAGE AND HIS WIFE WE now go back to Mr. Page and his wife, whom we shall — find proceeding arm in arm from the Borough toward old London Bridge. The commercial traveller, flattering himself that he was a man worth six thousand pounds in ready money and possessing papers calculated to produce as much again, walked with his head erect and an air of such assurance that one would have thought the entire metropolis belonged to him. In this respect he was well matched by Julia, who, fancying that her gaudy bonnet and her flaunting shawl were sufficient to render her “‘ quite the lady,’ marched along with an assumption of vulgar pride which made her seem as if she fancied the street was not half wide enough for her. The little boys stared at the singular-looking couple, sober-minded people experienced a sentiment of pity for their vanity, and when the poor shivering beggars touched their hats or curtsied, as the case of sex might be, Page held his head up higher still; for it struck him that he was all of a sudden very much respected. In this manner they crossed the bridge, and proceeded straight to Wood Street, where they entered the warehouse of Messrs. Hodson and Morley. The senior partner happened to be there at the moment, superintending the unpacking of some bales of goods which had just arrived; and, on hearing the door open, he raised his eyes and beheld the commercial traveller with a bold- looking woman hanging to his arm. Mr. Hodson was astonished; and, putting on his spectacles, he indulged in another long stare at the newly married couple. Yes, it was really Page, — Page with his hat cocked jauntily on one side of his head, and with such a smirking 298 CORNICLAOO