The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 217: what you’re looking at

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

188 THE COURT OF LONDON ‘“ But how will you advise me against your own mother? ”’ exclaimed the young princess, impetuously. ‘If my mother be acting wrongly,’’ was the mild and gently remonstrative answer, “‘ I will not scruple to condemn her proceedings as candidly and impartially as I would those of an utter stranger. Far more readily, then, would I pro- tect you, my beloved niece, against even the machinations of my own mother, if such machinations were in progress.” ‘“ Pardon me, pardon me, dearest aunt,’ exclaimed the Princess Charlotte, with a gush of fervid feeling and grateful enthusiasm. ‘‘ Pardon me, I say, for having mistrusted you for a moment, but I felt at the time as if there were no longer any confidence to be bestowed on a single being upon earth.” ‘Tell me, Charlotte,’ said the Princess Sophia, ‘‘ what it is that has affected you so painfully, so profoundly.” ‘“T will endeavour to restrain my feelings in such a man- ner,’ answered the young princess, “‘ as to enable me to give you a calm and intelligible narrative of what has occurred. You know that at Windsor Castle I have free access on all occasions to the queen’s private apartments, and that it is never considered necessary for me to send and announce my intention of visiting her Majesty in her own room. You are likewise aware that her Majesty is particularly fond at this time of the year, when the weather is so cold, of sitting in the little room which she calls the boudoir, and which has double doors. Well, at about eleven o’clock this forenoon I repaired as usual to pay my respects to her Majesty, forgetting to ask previously whether she was alone. On reaching the boudoir, I found the outer door ajar, and perhaps you remember how noiselessly it opens? Certain it is that when I opened it the sound could not have been heard inside the room, for the voices that were in conversa- tion did not cease speaking. On hearing those voices, and recognizing one to be the queen’s, I was immediately on the point of retiring, under the impression that her Majesty was engaged, when something which fell from her lips suddenly transfixed me to the spot. The words were to this effect: ‘ But, my dear Mrs. Owen, we have gone too far to retreat. The ruin of the Princess Caroline is resolved upon; it must be accomplished, and I am determined that she shall never, never have a chance of being Queen of England.’ Gomicbdooks (E(0)