The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 285: what you’re looking at

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

258 THE COURT OF LONDON lated into English, would read as follows: ‘‘ An Englishman; aged about three and twenty; arrested for having his passport made out in the false name of Jocelyn Loftus; his real name is known to the prefect, but for special reasons is not mentioned here. See, however, Prefect’s Private Minute Book, Folio 2011, second column, fifteenth line from the top.” ‘‘ T wish to see no more,’ murmured the unhappy Louisa, in a dying tone. ‘I have already seen too much.”’ ‘‘ And yet, young lady,” said the marquis, “‘ for your own complete satisfaction you will consent to behold the crowning proof of your false lover’s wickedness and depravity, — that crowning proof which I have brought you hither at this late hour to witness. By your Excellency’s permission,”’ continued the marquis, turning toward the prefect, “‘ we will now repair — ”’ “ T understand,” interrupted the prefect. ‘‘ Come with me.”’ Thus speaking, he led the way from the little cabinet, the door of which he carefully locked behind him; then, passing out of the anteroom, he took a lamp in his hand and con- ducted the marquis and Louisa up a staircase, at the summit of which there was a massive door. Having noiselessly and cautiously opened this door by means of a key which he had with him, he led the way down a long, gloomy passage containing a row of doors, at the last but one of which he stopped short. ‘“ Now follow me with the utmost caution and on tiptoe,” he said, speaking in a low whisper to the marquis and Louisa; then, having opened the door with an evident desire to avoid the chance of even a hinge creaking, he deposited the lamp in a niche in the passage, and stole into the chamber. Louisa Stanley now hung back, and staggered against the wall, as if a faintness was coming over her; for shocked, afflicted, and also indignant as she was at the thought of her lover’s profligacy and perfidy, her pure soul nevertheless revolted from the idea of becoming a witness of any proof of his guilt. “Go on, young lady, go on,” whispered the Marquis of Leveson, in a hurried tone; ‘‘ you must see out this matter to the end, and sustain your courage until the very last.”’ Startled into a feverish excitement rather than inspired with any real feeling of curiosity, Louisa Stanley passed b] CONMIE OOO KS () (E(0)