The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 379: what you’re looking at

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

348 THE COURT OF LONDON assurance that she had neglected nothing in the fulfilment of the duty entrusted to her. Few and rapid were the words that passed between us. I told her that Jocelyn was faithless to me, and a mere adventurer in society. I told her also that her sisters had proceeded to join the Princess of Wales in Italy; and I assured her that I had the best possible means for believing that the conspiracy against that august lady had in reality no actual existence. Mary Owen was aston- ished at this declaration on my part; she shook her head gloomily, but evidently was at a loss what to think. I told her to suspend all opinion until my return from London, when I would enter into the fullest and minutest details. Then, after this flying visit to the cottage —a visit which lasted for a brief half-hour — I returned to the Fountain Hotel, where the Marquis of Leveson’s carriage had stopped. Our journey was then pursued toward London, where we arrived last evening.” Louisa Stanley now proceeded to relate the treatment she had experienced at Leveson House, — how the marquis and Ernestina had suddenly thrown off the mask, and how the seasonable and sudden arrival of Sir Douglas Hunting- don had saved her from the treachery and outrage which the profligate nobleman had dared to contemplate. The elder sister was more than indignant, she was positively enraged at hearing this recital of the crowning dangers through which Louisa had that morning passed, and she murmured to herself, ‘* Lord Leveson shall repent of this black atrocity! ” ‘And now, dearest Clara,” said Louisa, throwing her arms around her sister’s neck, and gazing upon her with all her young heart’s innocent and enthusiastic devotion, “ tell me, dearest Clara, are you yourself happy? Do you like the gaiety and bustle of the metropolis, or do you long to return to the peaceful retreat at Canterbury? Tell me, in fine, all, everything that regards you.” “ Yes, dearest Louisa,’ answered Clara, embracing her fondly, “I will tell you everything, and you will perceive that I have all possible reason to be happy. In fact, dearest Louisa, if I have kept until some such occasion as this, — I mean, until we should thus meet and I could speak to you concerning many, many things which I could not so well have committed to paper, — if I have kept all this till now, I say, you will not be angry.”’ GOMmIGDooks (@) (E()