The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 306: what you’re looking at

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

CHRISTINA AND LORD OCTAVIAN 275 countenance struck her as so peculiar that she stopped short. ‘No, Miss Ashton,” he said, “‘ you need not make any such inquiry. Pardon me for a little deceit which was prac- tised on you; forgive me — listen to me — ”’ “Ah!” ejaculated Christina, with a faint shriek, but instantaneously recovering herself, she said, somewhat coldly, ‘‘ You, then, are Lord Octavian Meredith? ”’ ‘““T am,” he responded. ‘‘ Pray resume your seat, and suffer me to give you those explanations which are requisite.” Christina hesitated. There was in her mind a vague sense of impropriety in remaining alone with the young nobleman who had deceived her, and yet she felt that it was a duty both to herself and to him to listen to whatsoever he might have to say. She accordingly sat down again, but spoke not a word, and her look was still cold, but with a certain tremulousness in it. ‘“'You will remember, Miss Ashton,” proceeded Meredith, speaking in the most respectful tone, and with a correspond- ing look, for he felt that he had an exceedingly difficult part to perform, — “‘ you will remember that on the day I had the satisfaction of rendering you a trifling service, I pene- trated your motives in asking my name. You saw that a duel was probable, nay, more, that it was inevitable, and with the most generous of purposes you intended to give in- formation to a magistrate. But my honour was at stake, and I was bound to meet that antagonist whom circum- stances had suddenly raised up. Therefore, to prevent your generous intentions from being carried out, I gave a false name — ”’ ‘‘ True,” murmured Christina, as all the circumstances flashed vividly back to her mind. ‘“ That duel,”’ continued Meredith, “‘ took place, as you are aware, but as no injury was the result, it was so completely hushed up that it never reached Lady Octavian’s ears. I trust to your generosity that it shall continue a secret in respect to her. But to continue my explanations. I prom- ised you, Miss Ashton, that you should be made acquainted with the result of that duel, that if I fell, my second should wait upon you with the intelligence, but that if I escaped un- hurt, I would personally call to convince you of my safety. I did call — I sent up the name by which you already knew com () LOOKS (EO)