The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 78: what you’re looking at

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

THE JOURNEY TO PARIS o9 When the travellers were reunited in the morning at the breakfast-table, neither Agatha nor Emma appeared in any way confused on meeting his looks, nor was their behaviour at all changed toward him, unless indeed it were that their tone and manner increased in friendliness. But there was no evidence of humiliated feeling on their part, as if they were conscious of having made overtures which were met with a tacit rebuke. The journey was resumed, Mrs. Ranger and the youngest sirl occupying the same seat as before, and Jocelyn being again placed between the two eldest sisters, with their backs to the horses. The young gentleman now endeavoured to turn the conversation upon the Princess of Wales, observ- ing how harshly she had been treated by her royal husband, the prince regent, and regretting, if it were only for the sake of their child, the Princess Charlotte, that they did not effect a reconciliation and live together. But he found the three sisters very guarded in their replies and still more sparing in their comments, while Mrs. Ranger, who had passed a bad night, dozed in her corner of the carriage. At length Agatha, with an appearance of natural liveliness and versatility of disposition, exclaimed, “‘ Let us talk of something else, for this is an old and hackneyed topic amongst us,’ and Loftus was accordingly compelled to turn the discourse into another channel. He found the three sisters well informed, accomplished, and intelligent; their good-humour was patent beyond the possibility of affectation; they did not indulge in scandal, nor frivolous disquisitions on dress, nor were they at all vain of the intimacy which they had enjoyed with the royal princes. They possessed many excellent qualities, it was clear; but how far their morals had been depraved and their principles undermined, Jocelyn trembled to conjecture. When, however, he thought of the admirable purposes to which their minds and their dispositions might have been trained under proper tutelage, and when he reflected that whatever might be their failings and faults, these poor girls could scarcely be held responsible for them, his heart was moved to the deepest commiseration, and he felt that it would be a glorious triumph to rescue them from the evil influences that were hurrying them on to destruction. The party stopped to dine at Beauvais in the afternoon, L0)0)@) a COUN ‘cS (CO)