The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 172: what you’re looking at

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

ZOE 149 say, speaking tremulously, “ I should be bitterly irritated against myself. Tell me, have I offended you?” ‘“No, my lord,’”’ she answered, but in accents that were scarcely audible, while the transient glance which she threw upon the young nobleman conveyed the first revelation he had ever yet obtained in respect to the real feeling with which the young lady regarded him. ‘‘ Then if I have not offended you,” he said, ‘‘ I may hope that I am not altogether indifferent to you? I have no fortune, Miss Armytage, to lay at your feet, but I have a loving and affectionate heart to offer you. Will you accept it? ’”’ and he sank upon his knees before her. Zoe, with her countenance still averted, and with the colour still coming and going rapidly upon her beauteous cheeks, made no verbal answer, but proffered him her hand. He took it, and conveyed it to his lips. But scarcely had those lips touched it, when she gently but firmly disengaged it, and rising from her seat, said, in a low but clear voice, ‘My lord, I must now refer you to my father— Perhaps I ought to have done so in the first instance,”’ she added, more gently still. Octavian had started up from his knees, smitten with the apprehension that he had been too bold in kissing the beauti- ful white hand which was proffered him, and that the young lady was offended, but he saw by her looks that it was not so. Her conduct was merely that of maiden dignity and of filial obedience, so that all in a moment she rose a thousand times higher in his estimation, if possible, than she had previously stood, highly as he had esteemed her before. ‘“ But I may tell Mr. Armytage,” he said, gazing tenderly upon her, “that your consent is already obtained, if his be vouchsafed? ” “It would be on my part, my lord, a ridiculous affecta- tion,’ responded Zoe, in a voice that was tremulously clear, but yet she spoke with downcast eyes and with a modest confusion bashfully blending with her firmness, — “‘ an affectation insulting, too, to the minds of both of us, were I to declare that you are an object of indifference to me. You have my consent, if you obtain my father’s. And think not, my lord, that I fail to appreciate the honour which you confer upon me, — the perhaps too flattering een which you pay me — ” EORNICLOOKS (E(0)