The Mysteries of the Court of London by Pauline Clarendon — page 10: what you’re looking at

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

THE CATALOGUE OF CRIMES 7 inspection by their employers on the morrow, Mr. Page shortly found himself left with only two companions out of a dozen. With those friends, however, he presently renewed the conversation, one of them having asked him what he was about to say when the appearance of the waiter had inter- rupted him. “Oh! I remember the topic on which I was speaking,’ exclaimed the talkative Mr. Page, pushing away his plate after having made a hearty dinner. “I was going to ob- serve that when his Majesty was Prince of Wales, he became connected with a certain Quakeress, named Hannah Light- foot. Some say he privately married her; and it has also been rumoured that there was a son born. This child — according to the same vague authority — was secretly re- moved to the house of the late Sir William and Lady Stam- ford and adopted by them, her ladyship’s own infant happen- ing to die at the period. All this I heard at Aylesbury — but of course I don’t pretend in any way to vouch for ‘Weegee “YT should think not, indeed!” exclaimed a gentleman who, entering the apartment at the instant, but unperceived by the commercial travellers, had caught the latter portion of Mr. Page’s observations. The bagmen started as those words, uttered in a tone of mingled imperiousness and contempt, fell upon their ears; . and turning round they beheld the newcomer from whose lips the disdainful remark had fallen. He was an individual of remarkably imposing appearance. His features were handsome, though his countenance was now evidently flushed with wine; his figure was tall, well- proportioned, and commanding, and in his gait and gestures there was an easy elegance combined with a nobility of air which bespoke the polished gentleman. The intellectuality of his face would have, however, been somewhat marred by its roundness, the gracefulness of the oval being destroyed by the fatness of the cheeks, had not the high and open fore- head redeemed the fault. His hair was of that uncertain colour which appears of a dark chestnut in some lights, and auburn in others, and it was naturally curled and wavy. His age seemed to be a few years over thirty; and his attire was neat, good, but unpretending. COMniclooolKSs (EO)