The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 206: what you’re looking at

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

180 THE COURT OF LONDON Indeed, there was some cause for suspecting that the young woman had experienced foul play; inasmuch as, at the period of her flight, she was passing a few days with her aunt, by whom she was sent out to liquidate some little accounts that were owing in the neighbourhood, and for which purpose a ten-pound note was given to her. But she never returned; and, on subsequent inquiry, it proved that she had not paid the debts at all, nor even visited the shops where the accounts were owing. She had been home to her parents’ abode for a few minutes, to put on her best clothes and procure her father’s umbrella; but from the moment she started forth again, all trace was lost of her. Her father, mother, and aunt had therefore naturally experienced much alarm and uneasi- « ness on her account, and all the researches and inquiries which they set afoot proved unavailing. The neighbours shook their heads and observed significantly that ‘‘ Miss Ann was a pretty girl, and she knew it;’’ some added that “she was a thorough coquette and given to fine dressing lately; ’’ and others ventured to prophesy that “ she would come back again when she wanted the midwife’s assistance.”’ But her parents and aunt turned a deaf ear to these remarks. They could not possibly think that Ann had gone astray after becoming a member of the New Lights; nor did it for a moment strike these worthy people that she had been allured away by the odour of sanctity which attended like a halo upon the persons of the Reverend Nathaniel Sneaksby and Brother Paxwax. Thus several weeks had passed, during which Ann Jones was pleasantly and comfortably employed in discharging the duties of housekeeper at the new dwelling where the chosen vessels had established themselves in Paradise Villas. But it happened at last — indeed, early in the very morning of the day on which Florimel and Pauline were reunited — that Mr. Jones, Ann’s respected father and ‘consequently Mrs. Piggleberry’s beloved brother, was passing along the Edgeware Road, when, to his infinite surprise, he beheld his daughter taking in the hot rolls at Mr. Sneaksby’s front door. The ejaculation of wonder which burst from his lips at this discovery met the ears of Miss Ann Jones; and instantane- ously recognizing her sire, she dropped the rolls as if they were scorpions, stepped back into the house, and slammed the door in the face of the astonished baker, who naturally CONNKEIOOKS (E(@)