The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 87: what you’re looking at

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

A PLOT 69 secretly wishing that she herself was on her way to receive three thousand pounds, instead of to carry out the deeply devised plot in respect to Eveleen O’Brien. “Your tale, Mrs. Rayner, has deeply interested me,” said Lettice. ‘‘ But do you not tremble at the thought of appearing in the presence of such a hard, stern man as your guardian Mr. Pollard seems to be? ” “I can assure you, Miss Rodney,” replied the handsome widow, ‘‘ that I experience no such trepidation. It is true that full ten years have now elapsed since I last beheld him, but my memory has faithfully retained the impression which Mr. Pollard made upon me at the time, during the few weeks I was beneath his roof. He is a man of the fewest possible words, and I am confident that he will not seek to engage me in any unnecessary discourse. He will not speak of the past more than is absolutely requisite to the settlement of the business which is to bring us in contact. I therefore entertain no apprehension that he will in any way revive the poignancy of my feelings on account of the cruel and irrepar- able loss which I have sustained. Indeed, so far as I can exercise my judgment on the subject, I have every reason to believe that our interview will prove a brief one, and that within an hour from the moment of our meeting the business will be settled.”’ “TI am truly glad,’ observed Lettice, “‘ to receive the assurance that you anticipate no manifestation of ill-feeling on Mr. Pollard’s part. Although we have known each other but a few short hours, I feel an interest in all that concerns you.” “ And this interest, Miss Rodney, is reciprocated,’ re- joined Mrs. Rayner. The discourse continued awhile in a similar strain, but the reader will scarcely require to be informed that while Lettice expressed a feeling of interest more for the sake of saying something than because she really experienced it, and also for the purpose of making her companion believe that she was a very right-minded young lady, Mrs. Rayner’s assurances of kindly sympathies were, on the other hand, perfectly genuine and sincere. As the discourse continued, Mrs. Rayner was naturally led on to minuter details in respect to the past incidents of her life, and as Lettice could not bear to be silent or unoccupied, and, moreover, inasmuch as she was ECORNICLOO Ss (E() im