The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 280: what you’re looking at

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

STRUGGLES 249 search for needlework. Christina hastened to put their two little chambers into becoming order, and when she had done this, she descended to the landlady’s own parlour, and began to consult her in respect to her position. Mrs. Giles was a good-natured woman, kind-hearted and benevolent, and considerably different from her acquaintance, Mrs. Macaulay. She had suspected for some little time past that the twins were not very comfortable in their circumstances, and she often had it on the tip of her tongue to speak some sympa- thizing words, or to proffer advice if she were enabled to afford any. But Christian and Christina had a certain pride of their own —a very natural one too — which prompted them to keep up their respectability as well as they could in the eyes of their landlady; and though they were most courteous and affable toward her, they had never thrown themselves in the way of any lengthy discourse. Now, however, Christina had laid aside all that sense of shame which had hitherto kept her silent; she frankly told Mrs. Giles how her brother and herself were situated, and ex- pressed her fears that they must surrender up their present lodging and betake themselves to a still cheaper one. ‘My dear young lady,’ answered Mrs. Giles, ‘“‘ you need not vex and annoy yourself about your rent. Remain here as long as you like, and pay me when you can.”’ Christina expressed her deep gratitude to the worthy woman, but declared that neither she nor her brother would wilfully contract a debt which they had no immediate prospect of liquidating. ‘“‘T am not at all surprised,’ said the landlady, ‘‘ that both yourself and your brother have failed in procuring such employments as you have sought. Master Ashton is too genteel to go and apply for a clerk’s place, because, being so young, he could only expect small remuneration, and an employer would fancy that he could not make a hard-working drudge of such an elegant gentlemanly young man who carries his fine spirit in his very countenance. As for needle- work, my dear Miss Ashton, there are so many thousands and thousands of poor creatures scrambling to get whatever there is to do in that way, that a great many must of course go without.” “ Yes, I feel that it is so,’”’ answered Christina, with a profound sigh. ‘“‘ I would do anything,” she added, bursting EONMICE NOOO KS (E(O)