The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 157: what you’re looking at

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

THE TWO ACCIDENTS 139 caused the vicious-disposed galloway to shy; whereupon Meredith, in a somewhat intemperate manner, bestowed three or four good stripes upon the animal. They both set off at full speed, tearing down the hill as if they were mad; the phaeton flying along like a thing of no weight, or as if it were a feather borne on the wing of a hurricane. ‘‘ For Heaven’s sake, sit fast! ’’ exclaimed Meredith, who was doing all he could to hold in the apparently frenzied animals. Zoe and Christina exchanged affrighted glances, each per- ceiving that the other was as pale as death. And no wonder, for there seemed to be every prospect that the equipage would be dashed to pieces, swerving as it did from one side of the road to the other, — now with the wheels on one side half up a bank, then the next moment a similar process taking place with the wheels on the other side, and the steeds still continuing to tear on in utter defiance of Meredith’s endeavour to hold them in. Long as it has taken us to de- scribe all this, it was nevertheless the work of but a very few minutes, and as the equipage dashed precipitately down to the bottom of the steep hill, it was suddenly upset by the side of the road. The very instant Meredith found the phaeton overturning, he sprang out with a marvellous agility, and though he fell, yet, as it was upon some grass, he escaped comparatively unhurt, and was immediately upon his feet. Christina and Zoe were flung out violently, and they both lay senseless. “My God, my God!” cried Octavian, in a voice of the wildest agony, ‘‘ they are killed,’’ and he bounded forward to raise one up in his arms, and that one was Christina; then from his lips came ejaculations similar to those which he had uttered on the previous occasion: “‘ Oh, speak to me! speak to me! for Heaven’s sake speak to me! Would that I had died instead of you.”’ And Christina slowly opened her soft dark eyes, and Oc- tavian, as frenzied now with joy as he was a moment before with terrible affliction, exclaimed, ‘‘ Thank God, she lives! she lives! O Christina! ” He was straining her in his arms, when she, awaking to full consciousness, extricated herself from his embrace with an abruptness that under any other circumstances would have been ungracious indeed, but which was now the result of ECORRICLOO <S) (E() im