The Mysteries of the Court of London by Pauline Clarendon — page 166: what you’re looking at

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

AN AMAZON 163 kind for the purpose of exciting his imagination. Besides, he had a certain important object in view, and which en- erossed his thoughts. He therefore turned the prints over in a listless manner, and very shortly passed from them to the inspection of the firearms. These he scrutinized with less abstraction of mind, for there were several new fowling- pieces and pistols which he had not seen before. But when about a quarter of an hour had elapsed, Tim Meagles suddenly raised his eyes, looked around him, and then listened. All was still; and then the next instant the Amazon’s clear, merry, musical laugh, ringing from the bathroom, met Meagles’s ears. A cloud swept over his countenance, for Tim Meagles, although he had long been on terms of the most tender intimacy with her, was for a moment annoyed at himself for having purposely brought her to Carlton House on the present occasion with the view of throwing her into the arms of the prince. But this feeling of jealousy was as evanescent as, under the circumstances, it was absurd; and it was instantaneously succeeded by a lively satisfaction, as he thought to himself, ‘“‘ She has played her cards admirably, and she will succeed in engrossing the prince’s attention during the half-hour that I enjoined her to be sure and keep him engaged! ”’ Thus rejoicing in the success of a prearranged stratagem, Tim Meagles advanced to the royal couch, and took from beneath the pillow a long, thin gold chain to which a key of very peculiar workmanship was attached. He then approached the writing-desk to which we have already alluded; and having carefu:ily opened it, he pro- ceeded to examine several small packets of papers, which were tied round with pink ribbon, and bore endorsements indicative of the various matters to which they respectively referred. But while thus occupied, he more than once cast an anxious look toward the door of the bathroom. His apprehensions were not, however, verified by any sudden interruption on the part of the prince. His search in the two compartments of the desk lasted for upwards of ten minutes, there being numerous packets of papers, which he examined one after the other until nearly the whole were thus disposed of, and still he had not lighted on the particular parcel which he sought. He now began to fear that it might not be in the desk at all; and yet he ECORNIE OOO KS (E(O)