The Works of George W. M. Reynolds — page 198: what you’re looking at

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

THE SECOND JOURNEY 181 who surrounded her, and there was every reason to suppose that this supervision had not been relaxed during the last four or five months. ‘Thus, though he was on the highroad to Geneva, and though he would soon be within sight of the princess’s dwelling, and perhaps able to advance up to her very front door, yet was it possible that, after all, he might experience considerable difficulty in obtaining access to her. Having duly considered these matters, Jocelyn determined upon entering Geneva in as private a manner as possible, and instead of taking up his quarters at one of the tashion- able hotels, procure some humbler lodging, so that he might stand the less risk of having his presence known in the city previous to obtaining an interview with the princess. On arriving within four miles of Geneva, at about three o’clock in the afternoon, Jocelyn halted at a village the picturesque appearance of which delighted him so much that he longed to ramble for an hour or two in its beautiful environs. Moreover, as he had determined upon entering Geneva at dusk, he thought he could not do better than dine at this village, and he accordingly ordered the post-chaise to be put up at the little inn which occupied a prominent position amongst the few buildings constituting the place. Before he set out for his ramble, he sought the landlord to give instructions relative to his dinner, and the pretty peasant- girl who acted as waitress introduced him to the master of the establishment, a stout good-looking man, who at the moment was engaged in conversation with another traveller. This individual had just arrived in a chaise, and was a thin, pale-faced, keen-eyed man, dressed in black. “I propose to stay here until the evening,” said Loftus, who, as the reader is well aware, was proficient in the French language, which was spoken in all that district, ‘“‘ and on my return from alittle ramble which I am about to take in your beautiful neighbourhood, I shall be ready for such fare as you may be enabled to provide me.’’ ~ This gentleman is also going to dine here in a couple of hours,”’ said the landlord, indicating the individual in black. ~ Perhaps you two gentlemen would like to dine together? ”’ There was no objection raised on either side to this pro- posal, and Jocelyn accordingly set out for his ramble, with the understanding that dinner would be ready at five o’clock. During the interval our young hero wandered amongst the GoOmicdoo <S) (CO) im