The Mysteries of the Court of London by Pauline Clarendon — page 224: what you’re looking at

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

SCENES AT MRS. BRACE’S ESTABLISHMENT 221 Brace’s establishment for a lady and gentleman to be seen issuing forth together at that early hour in the morning, the milliner undertook to accompany Octavia in the hackney- coach as far as Piccadilly, where Florimel could join them and take her place. This was accordingly done. The vehicle, with Mrs. Brace and the young lady inside, proceeded as far as the beginning of Bond Street, where it waited for Florimel, who passed out of the establishment by the house in St. James’s Square. The milliner then alighted, the nobleman took his seat by Octavia’s side, and the. coach moved rapidly off toward the Edgeware Road. Florimel now proceeded, in terms as delicate as possible, to give his fair companion certain necessary explanations. He told her how he had heard of her sister’s charms and was resolved to win her heart, how he had called on the previous evening in female attire, how Pauline had discovered his treachery by some inadvertent expressions he had used, how he fell upon his knees before her and besought her for- giveness, and how a virtuous passion had superseded the base intentions that had originally animated him. He then informed Octavia that, while he and her sister were seated together in the back parlour, her father had unexpectedly arrived, that Pauline had succeeded in in- ducing him to believe that Octavia had already retired to rest, and that he (Florimel) had subsequently quieted Pauline’s alarms by declaring that he knew where her sister was and would guarantee her safe return before eight in the morning. He added that being in Mrs. Brace’s confidence he was acquainted with Octavia’s amour; but he assured her that he neither knew, nor sought to learn, who was the object of her affection. Octavia scarcely comprehended all these details, for there was a confusion in her brain. She, however, understood enough to convince her that Pauline would save her from exposure in respect to her father — and that was all she cared for! Lhe explanations of Lord Florimel had scarcely reached their conclusion when the coach came within sight of the villa; and the nobleman ordered it to stop. Octavia alighted, and, having murmured a few words of gratitude to her generous friend, she hurried away toward the house. GOmiGoOoks (GO)