The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 238: what you’re looking at

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

MR. SAMUEL EMANUEL 211 one and twenty, in the very last stage of consumption. She was pale as a corpse, save and except with regard to a vivid hectic spot which seemed to burn upon either cheek. She was thin, —oh, so thin! It was complete emaciation; so that it appeared as if merely to raise that wasted, atten- uated form would be to inflict excruciating pain, as the very bones might threaten to penetrate through the skin, for flesh upon them there was none. The attic was almost com- pletely denuded of every necessary, and possessed not a single comfort. The dying creature was alone when Christina entered, —no relative, no nurse, no friendly female to attend upon her. Notwithstanding her frightful emacia- tion, notwithstanding the ravages which disease had worked upon her countenance, there were nevertheless sufficient traces of past beauty to indicate that she must have at one time possessed no ordinary degree of loveliness. Christina gave her to understand that accident had made her acquainted with her condition, and that though her own means were limited (the generous girl said not how limited) she had come to proffer what little assistance she was enabled to afford. Mary Wright was for some time so suffocated by her emotions that she could not give utterance to a word, and the tears streamed from her eyes. At length she suc- ceeded in expressing her deep gratitude, in a weak, dying voice and in broken accents, declaring that she had never expected to behold a friendly countenance gaze upon her again in this life. Christina learned from her that about thirty shillings were owing to the landlady, and though the dying young woman proffered not the request in words, yet her plaintively ap- pealing looks seemed to implore our heroine to save her from the threatened removal to the workhouse. This pledge Christina at once gave, and promising likewise to return in a few minutes, she hastened from the room. The landlady was waiting upon the stairs, watching for Miss Ashton, in order to see what might turn up to her own advantage, and Christina at once liquidated from her slender purse the arrears of rent that were due. Then she continued her way down-stairs, and rejoined her brother in the street. Christian had been waiting for her about a quarter of an hour, and during this interval a little incident had occurred which he had noticed, and which he presently mentioned (COUN a LOOKS (C(O)