The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 241: what you’re looking at

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

214 REYNOLDS’ WORKS landlady, and putting some money into her hand, bade her show all possible attentions to the dying woman, — at the same time giving her the assurance that she should be rewarded in proportion as she obeyed these injunctions. Christian was not wearied of waiting upwards of an hour for his sister’s reappearance; he knew that she was engaged in a, self-imposed task of true benevolence, and he would have cheerfully tarried ten times as long if it were necessary. Scarcely had Christina issued forth from the house, and just as she was taking her brother’s arm, they both beheld a gentle- man stop short and gaze upon them with an air of interest. He had evidently recognized them, and they too recognized him, for he was none other than Mr. Redcliffe. He at once perceived that there was sadness in Christina’s looks, and that tears hung upon her long dark lashes, — the traces of that deep sorrow which she had experienced at the mournful narrative of Mary Wright. ‘Wherefore are you thus depressed? ”’ he inquired, some- what abruptly, but with a courteous bow of recognition, as he glanced from one to the other. ‘Because I have just left a scene which would move the hardest of hearts,” replied Christina. ‘‘ A young woman, crushed down by overwhelming toil, in the last stage of con- sumption — ”’ ‘“‘ And it is a deserving case? ”’ asked Mr. Redcliffe, inter- rupting the young girl, while he still continued to contemplate both herself and her brother with a deep and mournfulinterest. ‘““Oh, yes, sir. It is a deserving case; there can be no doubt of it,’’ exclaimed Christina, the tears gushing afresh from her eyes, as all she had seen and all she had heard sprang ‘vividly up to her memory. ‘“‘ Then it shall be inquired into,” answered Redcliffe, and with another courteous bow, he passed abruptly on his way. The twins proceeded slowly along the street, and presently they looked back to see if Mr. Redcliffe had turned to call at the house, but he was just disappearing around the corner of another street, and the orphans knew not what to think, whether he had only said the case should be inquired into in order to cut short a tale which he cared not to hear, or whether the promise would be really fulfilled. As they con- tinued their own way, Christina told her brother all that she CORNICLIOOKS (EO)