The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 275: what you’re looking at

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

248 THE COURT OF LONDON ‘I thought you just now said Mary,” observed Jules Martignac. ‘No, no,” replied the prefect. ‘‘ Mary is the youngest of all, and is living with Miss Louisa Stanley at Canterbury. It is Julia, the youngest of the three over in France, whom the marquis kept with him.” “The wicked old fellow!’ exclaimed Jules. ‘ But I have heard that these Owen girls are ravishingly beautiful—”’ “True! But you are quite wrong in your present sus- picions,”’ interrupted the prefect; “for the very same day that Miss Agatha and Miss Emma departed for Italy, Miss Julia was consigned a prisoner to the prefecture.” “Ha! ha! capital, was it not?’ exclaimed the three gentlemen spies and the two private secretaries, all rubbing their hands with the air of men who were relishing an excellent joke. ‘‘ Only fancy that sweet pretty girl, Julia Owen, being locked up in a gloomy room in the prefecture! ” ‘“ Indeed! and what was that for?’’ demanded Jules Martignac, now completely at fault as to the meaning and motive of the circumstances Just related. ‘You must know, in the first place,’ said one of the gentlemen spies, with a peculiar look, “‘ that it was entirely of her own accord.”’ ‘¢ And after full deliberation with Lord Leveson,” observed another of the mouchards. ‘And it must be borne in mind that the room in which she is placed,’’ added the third spy, “‘ is next to that of the handsome young Englishman who chooses to pass under the very euphonious and romantic name of Jocelyn Loftus.” “By all means tell us about this,’’ exclaimed Jules Martignac. ‘‘ It seems to be one of the most thoroughly romantic affairs I ever heard of.’’ | “Well,” said the prefect, now resuming the discourse, ‘“T must observe, en passant, that the English people, with the disgusting pride and arrogant self-conceit that is so natural to them, are exceedingly fond of denouncing the French as being utterly demoralized; but from the very incidents of which we are speaking, and a variety of others which have come to my knowledge, I can assure you my candid and honest impression is that the aristocratic and higher classes of English society are the most depraved, profligate, and licentious in all the world.” GoOmicbooks (E(0)