The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 242: what you’re looking at

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

THE YOUNG PRINCESS 213 The fears of the princess now arose to an intolerable height, and unable any longer to endure the solitude of her chamber, she was about to ring the bell to summon her ladies in waiting. But she suddenly recollected that as she had dismissed them for the night, they had separated to their own apartments, and that if they were recalled she would have to explain the reason for thus summoning them back to her presence, and her natural pride revolted from the idea of confessing that she was afraid to be left alone during so tempestuous a night. She accordingly endeavoured to conquer her fears. But she could not. There seemed to be a spell upon her mind, a mysterious gloom which she could not shake off. It was like an ominous foreboding, vague and unknown, but not the less oppressive and painful. Suddenly she bethought herself that the Honourable Mrs. Bredalbane’s chamber was close at hand, and that this lady, having been somewhat indisposed, had kept her room all day. It therefore occurred to the young princess that she might repair to Mrs. Bredalbane’s apartment for the ostensible reason of inquiring after her, but in reality for the sake of companionship, her Royal Highness hoping that half an hour’s friendly discourse with this lady, whom she liked much, would perhaps cheer her mind, or, at all events, efface these superstitious terrors which at present forbade her from seeking her couch. We may here observe that the Honourable Mrs. Bredal- bane was one of the bedchamber women attached to the queen’s household. She was a widow, about forty years of age, very affable and kind-hearted, but given to scandal and amazingly fond of gossiping. Her lodging at the castle was at the end of the same passage from which the Princess. Charlotte’s own suite of apartments opened, and which indeed communicated with the rooms of several of the court ladies. Issuing forth from her chamber, the young princess threaded the passage, which was lighted with lamps sus- pended to the ceiling, and she reached the extremity of the carpeted corridor without encountering a soul. The door which she now gently opened led into a little ante- chamber, beyond which was Mrs. Bredalbane’s own room, and as the princess approached the door of the latter, she heard voices speaking within. Suddenly reminded that CoOnniclooolks (C(O)