The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 144: what you’re looking at

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

CHAPTER X MRS. OXENDEN Ir was evening, and Laura had Just retired to her own chamber, at about half-past nine o’clock, under the plea of a severe headache. Her real motive was, however, to find an opportunity for penning an answer to Edgar Beverley’s note, and it was only by thus withdrawing at a somewhat early hour that she could hope to find such an occasion, for her chamber was an inner one opening from that occupied by her sister, who thus took care to act as the guardian by night of the young maiden, so as to prevent the possibility of escape. Laura had read her lover’s billet; it had filled her with hope, and joy, and gratitude, and though she had done her best to wear the same demeanour as before, yet she had not been altogether able to prevent herself from appearing to be in better spirits. On retiring to her room, she speedily dismissed the maid who came to attend upon her night toilet, and she was about to sit down to pen a hasty reply to Edgar’s note, when she heard the outer door open, and she had only just time to recover from her confusion and trepidation when Mrs. Oxen- den made her appearance. We ought perhaps to observe that Laura was entirely ignorant — and that the purity of her mind prevented her from suspecting — that her sister’s antecedents were not the most correct in the world, and that she had been the kept mistress of several wealthy persons, amongst whom was Sir John Steward. Mrs. Oxenden, on entering her chamber, embraced her sister with every appearance of the most affectionate cordial- ity, and, in a tone which seemed fraught with a correspond- ing sincerity, she said, “‘ Dearest Laura. you know not how happy I am to perceive that you are beginning to cheer up — 121 COnnicloookKks (CO)