The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 51: what you’re looking at

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

CHAPTER IV THE ACCOUCHEMENT THE sounds which thus appeared to promise a new ad- venture were occasioned by the sudden breaking of the fore axle of a travelling barouche, which was whirling along the road as speedily as four spanking horses and two expert postilions could carry it. Mr. Harley instantly rushed forth to offer his assistance to the ladies whose screams had emanated from the vehicle; while Octavia and Pauline followed as far as the garden gate, to render their aid if necessary. The scene in the road was one of the utmost confusion and terror, for the postilions were occupied in endeavouring to quiet their horses, which were plunging frightfully; a valet in plain clothes had been thrown from the box, and, pitching on his head, lay stunned within a few feet of the broken vehicle; a lady’s-maid, who was seated on the same danger- ous eminence, was clinging to the rails which she had clutched just in time to save herself from a similar accident; and two ladies inside were shrieking for help. Mr. Harley’s first impulse was to drag the valet away from the dangerous vicinity of the horses’ hoofs; and a rapid glance by the aid of the pure moonlight enabled him to per- ceive that the man was not killed, and was indeed already regaining his senses. Mr. Harley then assisted the lady’s- maid, who was half-dead with terror, to descend from her critical position on the box; and, having thus ensured her safety, he opened the door of the barouche to afford egress to the two ladies. All this had been the work of less than half a minute; but scarcely had Mr. Harley obtained a glimpse of the counte- nance of the lady who was farthest from the side of the © 30 Conmicbooks.conm