The Works of George W. M. Reynolds — page 66: what you’re looking at

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

THE JOURNEY TO PARIS 49 but fully trustworthy by an employer; whereas Mrs. Ranger was in reality a thoroughly unprincipled, artful, and aban- doned wretch, capable of selling the charms and making a market of the young girls confided to her care. She had smiled inwardly when Mrs. Owen, on giving her last instructions, had enjoined her to keep a careful watch over the virtue of her daughters; but externally she had assumed a matronly and duenna-like air, confirming with the most sacred assurances the impression which this staid and cautious aspect had left upon the mother’s mind. Her personal appearance was as false as her mind. She used cosmetics with so elaborate a skill and so ingeniously supplied the faded charms and wrinkled deformities of nature with the succedaneous remedies of art, that her withéred form assumed a buxom shape and her countenance bore a richer bloom than ever had clothed it even in the. springtide of her youth. She was midway between fifty and sixty; but what with false hair, false teeth, and the various artificial appliances alluded to, she managed to pass herself off as at least ten years younger. It will be remembered that Mary Owen had withdrawn herself from any further share in the secret conspiracy hatched under royal auspices against the honour, happiness, and even life of the Princess Caroline of Wales. Agatha, Emma, and Julia accordingly embarked without their youngest sister at Woolwich, under the protection of Mrs. Ranger. As a matter of course, they were accompanied by no end of trunks, bandboxes, and packages, for, as the reader has already been informed, large sums were expended in giving the young ladies a handsome equipment for their new career. A government vessel had been appointed to convey them to Calais, — for the power of steam was not in those days applied to navigation, and the ordinary means of reaching the Continent was by sailing-packet or hoy from Dover. We should here pause for a moment to observe that this — was the epoch of Napoleon’s memorable abdication of the imperial dignity in France, and his retreat to the little sovereignty of Elba. Louis XVIII ‘had been restored to his throne, an infamous Bourbon being thus given back to France; peace prevailed in Europe, and numerous English GOmiGodooks (SO)