The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 274: what you’re looking at

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

VISITORS AT ST. JAMES’S 245 noblest thoughts were so indelibly stamped upon the young man’s brow, and because the first look which he threw upon the princess convinced her that the eyes which sent forth this glance were the index of a soul loftily chivalrous, sub- limely magnanimous, and full of the most unsophisticated candour. Indeed, it was impossible to survey this young man and believe that he was otherwise than everything honourable and creditable to human nature. With a sweet affability the Princess Sophia requested him to be seated, and entering at once upon the subject which had brought them together, she said, “I thank you, Mr. Loftus, for this prompt attention to my letter.”’ Jocelyn bowed, making some suitable answer, and the princess continued: ‘““ My letter was necessarily brief, for several reasons. In the first place, | was writing to a gentleman whose acquaint- ance I had not then the honour to possess; secondly, I knew not whether the letter itself would reach you, or into whose hands it might fall; and, thirdly, I was not altogether sure that the information I had received concerning you might be correct.” “And may I ask your Royal Highness what that infor- mation is? ’’ said Jocelyn. ‘That you have interested yourself deeply in the affairs of her Royal Highness the Princess Caroline, that you have suffered imprisonment in France on account of the chivalrous enterprise on which you have embarked, and that you have recently been rescued by some Englishmen from the hands of the French police agents.”’ ‘“ All this is perfectly true,” said Jocelyn. Then, after a brief pause, and with some little hesitation, he observed,. ‘Your Royal Highness will excuse me if I ask how all these facts became known to you? ”’ ‘““T understand you, Mr. Loftus,’’ said the princess, a blush mounting to her cheeks. ‘‘ You fear — and your apprehension is natural — that inasmuch as I am acquainted with all these particulars, I must necessarily be in the con- spiracy which you no doubt suppose to exist in respect to the Princess Caroline. But when you have read this letter, you will see that you have no ground for any such alarm.”’ Thus speaking, the Princess Sophia handed to our hero Cconnicloooks (C(O)