The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 146: what you’re looking at

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

MRS. OXENDEN 123 alone I might claim some right to your dutiful obedience, as if I were your mother. But let us view the matter in a different light. You are now of an age when you ought to think of settling in the world. If Mr. Oxenden were to die soon, before you were thus settled, that income which would be a bare maintenance for me would constitute absolute poverty for yourself and me, and without the means of going into society, how could you hope to form an eligible alliance? ”’ A burning blush overspread the countenance of the young maiden as she said, with more firmness than her timid nature was wont to allow her to display toward her sister, ‘‘ You know that my heart is already engaged: think you, there- fore, that I can possibly listen with a very pleasant feeling to this language of yours, in which you speak of eligible alli- ances as if they were such mere worldly matters — ”’ ‘‘And so they are,’ interrupted Mrs. Oxenden, vehe- mently; for she in a moment saw the necessity of reasserting her empire over her delicate-minded sister. ‘‘I know full well to what you allude. You would speak of Edgar Bev- erley, but have I not already told you that according to some long-lost document which has recently come to light, and the existence of which was previously unknown or for- gotten, Sir John Steward is enabled to cut off the entail of his estates and to bequeath them to whomsoever he may choose? Have I not likewise informed you, over and over again, that his solicitor is already taking the necessary steps for this purpose, and that he will most probably be here the day after to-morrow with the marriage settlements completed — and likewise,’ added Mrs. Oxenden, impressively, “‘ with the draft of Sir John Steward’s will—that will by virtue of which you are at his death to inherit the great bulk of his wealth, a comparatively small sum being bequeathed to me, and which I am sure my own sister will not grudge me.” “ Oh, if you knew how painful it is to me,” cried Laura, with a visible shudder, “ to hear you thus speculating upon death — ”’ But then she stopped suddenly short, as the idea struck her that it was useless as well as impolitic to argue upon the point, inasmuch as she was secretly resolved in her own mind never to wed Sir John Steward, and inasmuch, too, as against her fluttering heart rested the billet which had that day brought assurances of love, of succour, and of hope. EGOMINIGIOOKS (CO)