The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 39: what you’re looking at

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

THE BILLS OF EXCHANGE 23 money for those bills from a gentleman named Emmer- son — ”’ ‘‘ Yes, and my husband has likewise received money from that Mr. Emmerson,” interrupted Editha. ‘‘ He told me so this morning. But it was evident from his manner that he did not know you had been dealing with the same money- broker.”’ “He does not know it, Editha,—and very fortunate is it for me,’’ added Malpas, with a profound seriousness of manner, “ that he is thus ignorant.” ‘“‘ Of course it is, Percy,’’ exclaimed the countess, ‘‘ very fortunate for us both. If he knew that I had given the bills to you, he would, as a matter of course, instantaneously suspect that there is some very close intimacy between us. When you first communicated to me your extreme pecuniary embarrassments and stated that the earl had refused you the service of his acceptance to a bill of exchange, I told you that I could procure his name to a promissory note for my own use.”’ ‘“‘ And I promised you,’’ observed the colonel, ‘“ that I would place that note in the hands of a gentleman who would advance the money upon it and not breathe a syllable to a soul relative to the transaction. I kept my word —”’ “No doubt,” interrupted the countess; ‘‘ and you also undertook to provide the funds to redeem the security even before it should become due, so that the bill might not be presented to the earl at all; otherwise, if presented, he would of course see your name upon it.” ‘True, my dear Editha,”’ said Malpas. ‘‘ And you gave me several bills at short intervals, with the earl’s acceptance to them.” ‘But I cannot see the utility of this recapitulation of circumstances so well known to both of us,’”’ observed the countess, with the glitter of uneasiness in her luminous eyes. “The whole matter is summed up in afew words. You were exceedingly pressed for money, and required a collateral security. All these things you explained to me, as I knew little or nothing about bills and promissory notes previously. I told you that I would undertake to wheedle the earl out of his acceptance, alleging that I required it to satisfy some pressing liabilities due to my jewellers and dressmakers. Knowing that the earl would not be in a condition to meet EORNICLOOO (GO) am