The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 243: what you’re looking at

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

214 THE COURT OF LONDON she would perhaps be intruding, she was about to retire at once, when a word, a name, which suddenly smote her ear, transfixed her to the spot and all in a moment inspired her with the keenest curiosity and the acutest interest. That name was Sellis. There were candles burning upon the table in the ante- chamber. A velvet curtain hung in the doorway between the two rooms, and the door itself was now ajar. The reader may therefore understand how it was that the presence of the princess was not observed by those who were in the bedchamber, and how she was thus enabled to become an unseen listener to the conversation that was going on and in which her interest had been excited in so sudden and so lively a manner. The voice which she had heard mention the name of Sellis was that of the Honourable Mrs. Bredal- bane, and she speedily discovered that the friend with whom Mrs. Bredalbane was thus familiarly conversing was Lady Prescott, also one of the royal bedchamber women. On a former occasion the Princess Charlotte had heard these two ladies in confidential discourse together, and her ears had then caught enough to make her long to know more. Now therefore that the opportunity so unexpectedly but so favourably presented itself, she could not resist the tempta- tion. Forgetting all her recent terrors, and too much swayed by intense curiosity to reflect for a moment that she was acting wrong thus to play the eavesdropper, the young princess was so completely transfixed at the mention of the name of Sellis that she could not possibly avoid remaining where she had thus suddenly stopped short, and losing sight of every other subject that a moment before had been uppermost in her mind, she gave all her attention to the discourse that was taking place in the inner chamber. “You seem, my dear Mrs. Bredalbane,”’ said Lady Prescott, ‘“‘ to be somewhat bitter against the Duke of Cum- berland. Surely you have imbibed no unjust prejudice toward that prince? ” ‘“‘ Prejudice, my dear friend! ”’ exclaimed Mrs. Bredalbane. ‘“T am really surprised that you should deem me capable of such a failing. It is perfectly true that I do not like the duke, and that he never was any favourite of mine, but although I may have my aversions and my antipathies, I ECORNIEOO; KS.)