The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 65: what you’re looking at

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

ROSE FOSTER AGAIN «47 with a smiling countenance and all her usual affability of manner. ‘‘ My dear child,” she said, taking the orphan’s hand and looking kindly upon her, so kindly that she must have been a very fiend incarnate if the honey of her smiles were belied by the venom in her heart, “ my dear child, I am come to see you at last. You have sent for me very often, but I have been so much engaged — ” | ‘““Oh, madam,”’ exclaimed Rose, in a voice of the most touching pathos, withdrawing her hand at the same time, “if you had any hope to give me or any humane feeling to testify toward me, surely you could have spared one single moment to become the bearer of the good tidings. But we will not exchange unnecessary words. Tell me at once, tell me, I conjure you, am I to consider myself a prisoner any longer? ”’. ‘** A prisoner ’ is not the proper term, my love,” said the milliner, evasively. ‘‘ You do not know who are your real friends, and therefore I was compelled to use a little re- straint — ”’ ‘““Compelled, madam!” exclaimed Rose. ‘Am I your slave, or your daughter, or your apprentice? No, I am none of these. By what shadow of right, then, do you exercise any control or coercion over me? ”’ ‘“‘ This is not language, my love, which it becomes you to utter or me to hear,” said Mrs. Brace. ‘“ Do not excite your- self, I mean you no harm — ”’ ‘‘ Madam,” interrupted the orphan, with solemn earnest- ness of tone and manner, “ you do not know who I really am, but I will tell you.” ~“ Yes, my child, I am aware that Camilla Morton was but a feigned name,” answered Mrs. Brace, “ and that you are properly called Rose Foster. A sweet name is Rose, a name which I love dearly; and if you are a good girl and will only listen to reason, I will point out to you a path leading to such happiness that you will become the envy of all the other young ladies in my establishment.”’ ‘‘ You know, then, who I am,” said Rose, in a musing tone; ‘“and yet you have no compassion upon the poor friendless orphan whose parents met with so dreadful a death. Oh, I am amazed, I am shocked; and if the world be full of such wickedness, suicide cannot possibly be a crime, inasmuch EO ANC } KS) \