The Mysteries of the Court of London by Pauline Clarendon — page 247: what you’re looking at

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

244 THE COURT OF LONDON of the day? They were kind and compassionate toward her, for they were in a condition even to afford consolation, in- asmuch as they did not feel their own degraded state as deeply and as severely as Caroline felt hers. Yes, she would stealthily seek the chamber of some one of those young women; for every instant was the awful sense of solitude becoming more difficult to endure. Taking the candle in her hand, she stole noiselessly forth from her room; but when she found herself in the large landing outside, and beheld three or four doors besides her own opening thence, she knew not at which to knock. After hesitating for a few moments, she blamed herself for her irresolution; and, tapping gently at the door of the chamber precisely opposite, waited for the answer. None reached her ear, and, growing positively terrified by the deep silence which reigned throughout the house and which had in it something mysteriously awful at the time when the wind was roaring in such terrific gusts without, she opened the door. A glance into the room convinced her that it was not a sleeping-chamber; nevertheless, an unaccountable feeling of curlosity prompted her to enter. She crossed the threshold and advanced, holding the candle high up so as to obtain a complete view of the place. It was a lumber-room, where broken furniture and articles not in use were stowed away; and it had that peculiar dis- agreeable, earthy smell which invariably prevails in apart- ments constantly shut up, and where old wooden things are mouldering with the process of decay. To the walls were suspended bunches of herbs of various kinds, hung there to dry; and amongst them was a considerable quantity of savin, the detestable use of which, in such hands as those of Mrs. Lindley, was to produce abortion. But of this fact Caroline Walters was happily ignorant; otherwise, it would only have increased the sentiment of aversion which she already experienced with regard to the midwife. Nevertheless, if the sight of those herbs produced no un- pleasant effect upon the young girl, she was speedily horrified and startled by other spectacles which this room presented. For, ranged upon a shelf stood several glass jars, each con- taining the diminutive corpse of an infant preserved in spirits of wine. Yielding to an invincible impulse of curi- osity, but with a cold tremor of the frame, Caroline advanced CONNIE DCO KS (Elo) m