The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 362: what you’re looking at

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

340 THE COURT OF LONDON and delight. ‘‘ But, oh, yes, I see that you are confident, and I will not ask you to repeat your assurance.”’ ‘Rely upon what I say, dearest Louisa,’’ answered Clara. “‘ If I were not thus confident upon the subject, I would not for a moment venture the assertion; if a doubt existed in my mind, 1 would rather have left you in the belief of your lover’s infidelity than encourage a hope which, after all, might turn out to be delusive. Not only is your lover innocent, dearest Louisa, but he is one of the most injured and perse- cuted of men in all that concerns his imprisonment in the prefecture of police, and one of the most virtuous and honourable of young men in all that regards his fidelity to- ward you and the temptations to which he has been sub- jected.”’ “Oh, Jocelyn, Jocelyn! to think that I should have mistrusted thee so profoundly! to think that I should have wronged thee so immensely! ’’ murmured Louisa, shaking her head in despair. ‘‘ And yet Heaven knows that the cir- cumstantial evidence which told against thee, Jocelyn, was to all appearances crushing and overwhelming. For did not the prefect himself assure me of dreadful things? Did I not behold with my own eyes a scene too well calculated to make me mistrust thee? Did I not even hear that female’s voice proclaim her love for thee? ”’ “Ah! now, my dearest Louisa,’”’ exclaimed Clara, ‘‘ you are torturing yourself with misgivings, in spite of the cer- tainties which I have breathed in your ears. It is true that I am not acquainted with all the minute details of these mat- ters to which you are alluding; but in general terms I can assure you that your lover is innocent, that he is even of the most rigid virtue, that his purity is incorruptible, and that whatever complexion circumstantial evidence may have been made to assume. against him, he will be enabled to clear up. everything.” ‘“ But one word more, Clara,’’ exclaimed Louisa; ‘‘ one word more, and then farewell to all misgivings. Is he really living under a false name? ”’ ‘“‘ Yes, that most assuredly he is,’’ exclaimed the elder sister; ‘‘ and to his honour and credit is this very fact which has been made not only the cause of his arrest, but also one of the grounds of his reproach. But I shall leave to him, Louisa, when the time comes, the duty of explaining to you COMIC OOOKS»E@