The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 337: what you’re looking at

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

306 REYNOLDS’ WORKS a single syllable throughout Christian’s narrative; he walked slowly by the youth’s side, with his eyes bent down, and when the tale was ended, upwards of a minute elapsed ere he breathed a word of comment. ‘This is indeed most serious,’ at length observed Mr. Redcliffe, speaking slowly and deliberately, and also in subdued accents. ‘‘ The views which you have entertained in connection therewith are all just and intelligent. You cannot proclaim the conspiracy aloud to the world, for the world would not believe you, while its laws would punish you as a slanderer and a calumniator. You cannot — at least for the present — warn the Duchess of Marchmont of her danger; or at all events it must not be done by words from your lips. Yet you must remain in your present situ- ation, you must keep a strict watch upon all the Duke of Marchmont’s proceedings, — yes, all of them. You must not hesitate — with false compunctions or overnice scruples — to listen, when opportunity serves, to conversations be- tween the duke and his villainous accomplice Stanhope. Everything that comes to your knowledge must you report to me, and in me shall you find a faithful adviser as well as a sincere friend. Henceforth you will regard me as such, and you must never hesitate to seek my abode, no matter how often or at what hour. You possess feelings, Christian Ashton, which do you honour, and I experience a lively in- terest in your welfare. You need have no care for the future, for when the time shall come that you must leave a service which is evidently distasteful to you, it shall be my care and my pleasure to procure you another and a better situ- ation. Farewell for the present.” With these words Mr. Redcliffe grasped Christian’s hand cordially, and they separated. The youth felt infinitely relieved at having made a confidant of one in whom he had also found a friend, and he proceeded with a much lighter heart toward the Regent’s Park. He saw his sister, and affectionate was the embrace in which the twins held each other. Christian mentioned the circumstance of his being already aware that Lord Octavian and Mr. Percival were one and the same person, and Christina frankly told him all the conversation which had taken place between herself and his lordship on the preceding day, — thus describing the motives which had induced her to conceal from Zoe the fact that CORNICLIOOKS (EO)