The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 283: what you’re looking at

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

252 REYNOLDS’ WORKS dinary beauty of Christina, —a beauty which was in such perfect contrast with her own, inasmuch as Miss Ash- ton’s hair and eyes were dark, while those of her ladyship were of a light, angelic style. But it would have been diffi- cult for an observer to decide which was the more beautiful of the two, although perhaps Christina might have carried off the palm. There was no shade of jealousy, no, not even the slightest tinge thereof, in Zoe’s disposition, and therefore when Miss Ashton announced the object of her visit, it did not for a single moment occur to Lady Octavian Meredith that there might possibly be some danger in introducing so tran- scendingly beautiful a creature into the house. Besides, in the same way that Christina was interested by Zoe’s appearance, so was the latter at once prepossessed with regard to the former; and Lady Octavian Meredith found herself inwardly expressing the hope that the applicant would prove a suitable candidate for the position she had come to seek. : “It is perfectly true,” said Zoe, in her sweet, musical voice, “‘ that I wish to enter into an engagement with a young lady who will live with me as a friend,’’ for she could not utter the word companion, which in that particular sense might convey the offensive significancy of a toady. “ Lord Octavian Meredith is, as a matter of course, frequently out; it is natural that he should seek those companions with whom his position enables him to associate, and I occasionally feel myself somewhat dull and lonely. You are aware that in what is called the fashionable world, visits are not paid until late in the afternoon, and then they are mere flying ones, and I am fain to confess that the conversation is usually frivolous and unsatisfactory. Thus I am many hours alone, and I cannot always while away the time with my books, my music, or my work. Therefore I seek the friendship of a young lady of amiable manners, of intellectual acquire- ments, and of certain accomplishments. She may rely upon kind treatment; she shall never find herself in a false posi- tion; she shall be as one of the family, subject to no re- straint nor coercion, and to be regarded as on a perfect equality with myself. I have been thus candid and frank, thus lengthy in my explanations, so that you may understand, Miss Ashton, my requirement and all its circumstances.” Gomichbooks (E(0)