The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 288: what you’re looking at

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

THE YOUNG NOBLEMAN 265 be made the topic of useless scandal or idle gossip on my part.”’ Lilian thanked him cordially, and then hurried away. ‘“‘T also thank you, Mr. Loftus, for the pledge you have just given,” said Bernard Audley, so soon as they were alone together; but Algernon merely bowed coldly, and passing hurriedly on, retraced his way to the hotel where he was stopping. We need not do more than in a few words remind the reader that it was through Bernard Audley’s insolent conduct toward Louisa Stanley in the Dane John that Algernon subsequently became acquainted with the beauteous damsel. This incident occurred a short time aiter the adventure in the cloister, which the young nobleman was compelled to fling as a menace at the infamous clergyman in order to force him to a precipitate departure from the scene of his gross attempt to undermine the purity of Louisa. Thanks to this incident, Algernon was at length brought in contact with a charming, amiable, and excellent girl answering the very description of that embodiment of all female excel- lences which he depicted to himself as the being that could alone win his heart or be deserving of his hand. We have seen how he cultivated her acquaintance, how each day his favourable opinion of her grew confirmed, and how the more he saw of her the more her amiable qualities developed themselves. At first he thought, when resolved to declare his love, of frankly stating who he was; but then the idea struck him that he would still retain the incognito, or, rather, his assumed name, in order to convince himself beyond all possibility of doubt that the humble cottage maiden could love him for himself alone, irrespective of his lordly rank. Moreover, he felt so truly ashamed of the profligacies, the vices, and the immoralities associated with the name of the Marquis of Leveson that he shrank from the idea of con- fessing himself to be the nephew of that unprincipled volup- tuary. He therefore continued in Louisa’s eyes as plain Jocelyn Loftus. When his love had been declared and he delicately furnished just so much information respecting himself that Louisa’s sister Clara, then in London, might make inquiries concerning his eligibility as Louisa’s suitor, he wrote to his banker, giving that gentleman instructions to what extent he was to speak of him to any one calling to take such references, and hence the guarded manner EOMINGIOOKS (CO)