The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 378: what you’re looking at

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

THE LADY’S - MAID O47 to procure such asum? Merely the bestowal of a name and title so utterly worthless to me that, a few minutes back, I had been hurrying forward to bury them along with myself in the deep waters of the Seine. Oh, you can scarcely think ill of me, Constance, when I confess that I found the offer too cheering, too magnificent, to be refused, and that instead of taking twenty-four hours or even twelve hours to reflect upon the point, I gave my assent at once. The Englishman then told me his own name and that of the young lady to whom I was to be married. Her surname was quite different from his own, and therefore I did not suppose her to be his daugh- ter. I however asked him if such were the case, and he said she was not, but he enjoined me not to question him any further, as there was so deep a mystery attached to this young lady, and the necessity for maintaining it was so absolute he must decline furnishing me with any clue [or its unravelment. He then placed a purse of money in my hand and bade me meet him at the same place on the following day at eleven o’clock. We separated, and I was no longer houseless nor penniless, but throughout the night I could scarcely close my eyes in slumber. The proposition to which I had assented was so extraordinary that again and again did I hesitate whether to proceed any further in the matter, but the grim, gaunt spectre of poverty constantly rose up before my eyes and made all my scruples vanish. = Morning came, and with some portion of the money contained in the purse, I made such improvements in my toilet as were suitable for the ceremony about to take place. Punctual to the hour was I at the wine-shop; the Englishman had already arrived and was waiting for me. He doubtless saw by my looks that I had not changed my mind, and he did not therefore ask me the question. A hackney-coach was summoned, and he ordered it to take us to a hotel which he named, in another part of Paris. On arriving there, he introduced me to a suite of apartments, in one of which he requested me to be seated for a few minutes. He then passed into an inner room, and shortly reappeared, accom- panied by three ladies. One was nearly as old as himself, and whom he introduced as his wife. Another was much younger, and was intended to act as bridesmaid. I believe she was some relation of his, but I do not exactly know of what degree. The third was the young lady on whom I was CONnNICLOOO© a <S (CO)