The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 219: what you’re looking at

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

190 THE COURT OF LONDON Jocelyn Loftus did not fail to tell everything to his friends after his rescue, even if they did not know all particulars before.’ ‘ Which was most probable,’ added the queen, in a still more bitter tone of vexation, ‘ or else how could they have known he was a prisoner under such circumstances? And wherefore should they have attempted to rescue him? What can have become of him?’ Mrs. Owen, in reply,. proceeded to remind the queen that this young man whom they called Jocelyn Loftus was engaged to be married to a young lady named Louisa Stanley, residing at Canterbury; and it appears also, from what Mrs. Owen said, that her youngest daughter — Mary by name — is staying with that. same Miss Stanley. ‘I have allowed Mary,’ observed Mrs. Owen, ‘to remain there unmolested, because she is buried in a seclusion where she has no opportunity of revealing our secrets in a manner calculated to do us any more harm than she has already done.’ Mrs. Owen likewise proceeded to observe that she hated her youngest daughter, and should never again be able to bear the sight of her, ‘ because she had proved so disobedient.’ “But heavens! my dear aunt,’ said the princess, “ in what think you that this disobedience consisted? ”’ ‘I know not, my dear Charlotte,” returned the Princess Sophia, who had listened with a profoundly mournful inter- est to the preceding narrative. ‘‘ Pray continue; this is indeed a dreadful recital.” ‘“ Dreadful!’’ echoed the Princess Charlotte, hastily wiping the tears from her eyes and assuming a forced composure. ‘‘ From the conversation which ensued between Mrs. Owen and the queen, I learned that for years past a fearful conspiracy had been in existence, a conspiracy — my God! for what object? Oh, to accomplish the ruin of my poor mother! In this conspiracy the queen, three or four noblemen, several titled ladies, and this Mrs. Owen have been leagued, and, what is worse, oh, ten thousand times worse, my father, the prince regent, is deep in that same conspiracy against his own wife. Ay, and more too — Alas! my dear aunt, that I should have to afflict you by these communications, but to you alone can I confide my sorrows, from you alone can I expect sympathy. I have named some of the conspirators, but in addition to the list I must specify my two uncles, the Dukes of — ” CORNICE OOOKS (E(0)