The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 377: what you’re looking at

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

346 THE COURT OF LONDON the female captive who was his neighbour. But, ah! Louisa, did you pause to ascertain that Jocelyn was a guilty wretch instead of a victim, the creator of the circumstances in which you found him placed or the victim of them? In fine, had he invited that female to his chamber, or had she forced herself upon him? You tell me that when you heard him speak within that second chamber whence the light streamed through the aperture, his words were an ejaculation to the effect that he should be driven mad. But was that the cry of love or of despair? Was that the language of a passion traitorous to you, or of a bitter persecution endured by him- self? And then, that response from the female to the effect that she loved him and that he knew she thus loved him, — might it not have been addressed to him as a reproach and a remonstrance for coldness, aversion, or inaccessibility on his part? Depend upon it, Louisa, as I ere now said, Jocelyn will give, when you meet again, the fullest and most satis- factory explanations upon all these points.” ‘“ Yes, dearest Clara,’’ answered Louisa, in a voice tremu- lous with emotion, ‘‘ I indeed see all those incidents in a new light. But what could I think of them at the time? Oh, I was stricken down as if the hand of death had suddenly been laid upon me; I was borne away from the spot, and for several days I remained in a state of delirium at the hotel. But the kindest attentions were shown me by the landlady, her daughters, and the medical attendant; and thus, when my mind began to emerge from the wild confusion of its ideas, I found myself the object of the tenderest solace and sympathy. I wished to hasten back to England, to return home; but the marquis represented to me the impossibility of my travelling in the nervous and excited condition that I then was, and this representation was warmly seconded by the worthy females to whose care I was assigned. Weak as I was in body and attenuated as I felt in mind, I was Overpersuaded without much difficulty. And I have already told you, Clara, how vain were the attempts I made to commit my woes to paper and correspond with you. Thus did day after day pass; and all this while the conduct of the marquis was so kind, so respectful, and at the same time so fatherly, that I felt assured his character must either have been mistaken or unjustly treated by Mary Owen. To be brief, I experienced the deepest gratitude toward (COU () IDoOaks (E(0)