The Works of George W. M. Reynolds — page 277: what you’re looking at

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

260 THE COURT OF LONDON the sake of your dear daughter Charlotte, who knows of the step which is being taken, I entreat you, I say, not to listen - to any representations that may be made in order to prevent him from obtaining access to you. Rest assured it is of the highest importance. At all events see him, hear him, and then judge for yourself. ‘“Hiver your affectionate sister-in-law and cousin, : ‘‘ SOPHIA.” Over the shoulders of her Royai Highness did the sharp eyes of Emma and Juha peruse this letter, while they had all the appearance of standing in respectful attention behind her, so that not even Bergami himself noticed that they were thus scanning their royal mistress’s correspondence. As for Agatha, who was standing by the princess, she had been engaged in folding up the envelope in an apparently listless manner, but in reality with the utmost care to pre- serve it. , “Here is a singular letter,’’? exclaimed the princess. “You may read it, my dear girl,” she added, handing it to Agatha, “ and I must thank you, by the bye, for the man- ner in which you ere now vindicated not only the respect due to me, but also the delicacy of our sex with regard to that Lady Prescott. But how could she have become the bearer of this letter, seeing that it speaks of a Mr. Loftus? Moreover, it is dated in December, and this is May. My sister-in-law the Princess Sophia has chosen a somewhat lageard messenger, and the vital importance of the docu- ment must have worn itself out over and over again long ere this. But have I not heard the name of Jocelyn Loftus before? ’’ she asked, with the air of one who seeks for a particular reminiscence. ‘“Assuredly, madam,’ was Agatha’s prompt reply. “Does not your Royal Highness recollect our dear kind friend Mrs. Ranger informing you how grossly we were in- sulted by that young man whom we took to be a gentleman —or I even think he said he was a nobleman in disguise, did he not, Emma? ”’ | ‘He did,” was the young lady’s response. “‘ But you recollect what sad accounts we heard of him, and how he was arrested for travelling under a false name and being a very bad, suspicious character indeed.”’ EGOMmicdooks (E(0)