The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 380: what you’re looking at

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

THE SISTERS 349 ‘Ah! my dearest sister, you have made me so happy,”’ cried Louisa, ‘‘ by your assurances relative to Jocelyn, that I am in a humour to behold everything in this world in the brightest and gayest colours. Yes, a roseate atmosphere now appears to surround me, displacing the murky mist in which I have been living, breathing, moving, and also losing myself, as it were, for the last fortnight. Tell me, then, that you are happy, dearest Clara; and that assurance, coming from your lips, will enhance, oh, unspeakably enhance, the joy which I myself now feel. Yes, and I shall be the more happy, too, if it be possible, because such assurance will convince me that you, my dearest sister, have not experi- enced the blighting, withering influence of that atmosphere of fashion in which you have been moving.” ‘What mean you, Louisa?” asked Clara, gazing upon her sister with so singular an expression that had the young maiden been more experienced in the world’s ways, and more deeply read in the science of the human heart, she would immediately have felt uneasy, perhaps dismayed, by that look which Clara fixed upon her. ‘““T mean,’’ responded the artless, innocent, unsuspecting girl, “‘ that Lady Ernestina Dysart drew ere now such a shocking picture of fashionable life that she made me shudder.”’ “Ah! what did she tell you? ” inquired Clara. ‘“Oh, it was indeed very shocking,’ answered Louisa, ‘“‘and filled me with a sudden aversion for what is called the fashionable world. Lady Ernestina spoke to me of a certain celebrated beauty —I forget her name at this moment — ”’ “Try and remember,” said Clara, throwing her arm in such a way around Louisa’s neck that she drew the young virgin’s beauteous head down upon her own fine bust. “Oh, I recollect now,” cried Louisa; ‘‘it was Venetia Trelawney.”’ “ Ah!” said Clara. ‘“‘ And what did Lady Ernestina tell you about her? ”’ “That she was as depraved as she was beautiful,”’ replied Louisa, whose cheek still remained pillowed against Clara’s bosom. “ But doubtless you are acquainted with every- thing regarding this Venetia, since her story appears to be the topic of the fashionable world. Only conceive such CONNIE OOO (A) ‘S (CO)