The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 351: what you’re looking at

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

THE TWO NOBLEMEN 317 thoughts passed rapidly as lightning through my brain at the instant that the door was opened; and springing forth from the carriage, I instinctively gazed up at the house to see where it was that it had stopped. That rapid glance showed me that I had been put down at the door of my own home; but it was not so rapid as to be able to turn and take a deliberate survey of the carriage which had brought me thither. For, as I looked around, the barouche was already dashing away, and in another moment it was lost to my view in the obscurity which still prevailed.” ‘“‘ But you caught a glimpse of the colour of that carriage? ”’ exclaimed Lord Montgomery, inquiringly; ‘‘ and you no- ticed whether there were armorial bearings upon the panels? ”’ ‘““So far from having made any such observations,” responded Florimel, ‘‘ I should not have known the vehicle again had I met it an hour afterward. Nor would you have manifested a greater keenness of perception, had you been in my place; for when I was first thrust into the carriage at the gate of Devonshire House, the proceeding was so rapid and my confusion was so great that I had scarcely an instant to notice anything; and again, when I alighted from the vehicle at the door of my own home, it glided away into the mist of the morning quick as the glance which I sent after it. But if I dared hazard an opinion upon the subject, and if the slightest reminiscence did really remain on the point, then I should say that, from the rapid and imperfect view which I had of the carriage when I was thrown, as it were, into it at the gate of Devonshire House, that it was a plain one. and of adark colour. But this may be all conjecture, and most likely is. I have now little more to say, and yet I will not omit a single detail, since you appear to be so interested in the narrative.” ‘“‘T am indeed interested,”’ exclaimed Lord Montgomery; “ for it is altogether one of the most exciting, thrilling, and piquant adventures that I ever heard. But you had reached that point where you alighted from the carriage and it dis- appeared with such rapidity. What happened next?” ‘“* Nothing very remarkable,” returned Florimel, laughing. — ‘“‘T went up-stairs and sought my couch, where I slept soundly until the afternoon. I then rose, dressed myself, and descended to the breakfast-parlour, where I found my brother reading the newspaper. ‘I hope you enjoyed your- (ex ®) mG 6)(0)()