The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 303: what you’re looking at

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

272 REYNOLDS’ WORKS for preventing Christina from being taken by surprise through a sudden recognition, and from giving vent to ejaculations that would reveal past incidents to his wife. Lord Octavian was therefore purposely out when Chris- tina arrived at his mansion in the forenoon. He knew that Zoe had promised to take luncheon with her father that day, between one and two o’clock, and he calculated that she would not on this occasion take Christina with her, but would leave her new friend to settle herself in the chamber allotted to her, and become somewhat acquainted with the habitation which was now her home. Indeed, that Zoe would act thus, Octavian had partially gleaned from a re- mark which she made at the breakfast-table. Therefore, when Lord Octavian thought that his wife had gone across the park to her father at the appointed time, he returned to his own dwelling. Meanwhile Christina had been most cordially welcomed by Zoe, and was at once conducted by the amiable lady to the elegantly furnished apartment which she was to occupy. Zoe at first insisted that one of the maid servants should unpack Christina’s boxes and arrange all her things for her in the wardrobe and drawers, but Miss Ashton was not the being to assume the airs of a fine lady, when conscious of her own dependent position, and Zoe was compelled to let her have her own way in this respect. Christina’s conduct en- hanced her considerably in the good opinion which Lady Octavian Meredith had already formed of her. When Miss Ashton had finished her little arrangements in her own chamber, she and Zoe passed an hour or two in agreeable conversation, and shortly after one o’clock the lady said, ‘‘ I am now going to leave you to amuse yourself until three or four. I have promised to visit my father, who has been much chagrined by the heavy loss he sustained through that same Mr. Preston whose conduct was so distressing to yourself. I shall not therefore propose to take you with me to-day, but on another occasion shall be proud and happy to introduce you to Mr. Armytage.”’ Zoe set out on her visit, and Christina remained alone in the drawing-room. She practised on the splendid piano- forte, and finding that the instrument was a magnificent one, she derived a species of enthusiastic inspiration from the flow of that harmony which she could thus modulate to Gomichbooks (E(0)