The Mysteries of London; or, Revelations of the British Metropolis — page 299: what you’re looking at

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

OF LONDON. 997 to pive transparency to the closely drawn draperies of the windows. Rio Sauto was seated near the bed in an arms chair. Opposite the portrait, as we have said before, there stood a bed, through the half-opened cur- tains of which was heard the stifiled breathings of an invalid. When a momentary current of air gave additional brilliancy to the dying flames of the lamp, the eye could discern, in the back part of the alcove, the ghastly and meagre face of a man. This man was not asleep, but the sufferings which weighed upon him chained him to his couch. His eyes opened at intervals, at times fiery and red in their hollow orbits—at times dimmed and lustre- less under the weight of their heavy lids, which were raised with much effort. It would have been very difficult to have distinguished his features, for, besides the half obscurity in which the care- worn face was enveloped, a thick beard almost entirely covered it. The Marguis of Rio Santo, seated in an arm- chair opposite the place where the raised curtains opened, was anxiously contemplating the sick man, and appeared to be suffering from a fever, equal in intensity to his. He was pale, and re= *Juced to a state of complete exhaustion. A clock in a neighbouring room struck seven. Rio Santo made an effort, and turned toward the ~~ window. Ais A sudden convulsion of the sick man, agitated the bed clothes. Rio Santo rose, and passed a sponge, moistened comicbooks;com\