The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 179: what you’re looking at

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

A STRANGE ADVENTURE 153 “With what result? ’’ demanded the prince, as if sharing the Amazon’s anxiety on behalf of the missing individual. ‘With no success whatsoever,’’ replied the lady; ‘‘ and ever since I have been racking my brain to think what possibly can have become of him. At length — but not until to-night —it struck me that your Royal Highness had probably despatched him upon some secret and impor- tant mission; and knowing that he possessed a pass-key to the secret staircase of this apartment, I hastened to his lodgings, possessed myself of it, and made bold to pay the present visit. For when once a particular idea is in my head, I cannot rest until I have acted upon it; and my suspense was too great to permit me to curb it until the morning. Besides, I thought it probable that your Royal Highness might not have yet retired to rest, in which case I hoped and trusted to be pardoned for this intrusion.” ‘You are pardoned, my dear Letitia,’ said the prince. “Your forgiveness was sealed by those kisses which you allowed me to snatch just now, and which,” he added, stretching his arms forward and again seizing her around the waist, “‘ I mean to renew.” Thus speaking, the impassioned prince glued his lips to hers and whisperingly spoke honeyed words in her ear. ‘‘ But it was not for this tender dalliance that I came,”’ she responded, in a low and melting tone, as she once more disengaged herself gently from his arms. ‘“ It was to obtain intelligence, if possible, concerning my absent friend — ”’ ‘‘ And you have understood by what I have already said, my dearest Letitia,’ answered the prince, “ that I am as ignorant and uneasy relative to Meagles as you are yourself.”’ “ Yes, / feared as much by the observation you made just now,”’ said the Amazon. ‘* Oh, let us hope that it is only some frolic on our friend’s part,”’ exclaimed the prince, “‘ and that he will shortly reap- pear. Perhaps, my bewitching huntress, he is at this mo- ment proving unfaithful to you —”’ “Well, even that idea would be a consolation,” inter- rupted the Amazon, appearing to take the suggestion quite ~ seriously. ‘‘ But if it should prove as your Royal Highness imagines, I can promise Master Meagles that he will be rated soundly by me. Herel have been undergoing all the imagi- nable and unimaginable tortures of the cruellest suspense —”’ CORNUC } cS {