The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 153: what you’re looking at

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

130 REYNOLDS’ WORKS tude, and he is, moreover, at your mercy for the allowance you give him, and which, with quite enough generosity, you are about to convert into a permanent annuity.”’ “True, true,’”’ said the old baronet. ‘I don’t know what reason I should have to stand in any fear of that self-sufficient jackanapes; nevertheless, love between young people some- — times leads to strange unforeseen incidents, and we do know there is a proverb which says that it laughs at lock- smiths.”’ “Trust me, Sir John, for the safe-keeping of my sister Laura. What with the negress in one room and myself in another, she could not possibly escape at night; and as for the daytime — But really it is altogether unnecessary to give you these assurances, for Laura has been overcome by my arguments, her assent is final, and I know her well enough to be aware that when once she makes up her mind to a par- ticular course, and that course is dictated by me, she will not seek to retract nor to deviate from it. By the bye, how simple a thing it was which gave the first turn in our favour. Trivial and even stupid as the idea might have seemed at the time, it is not the less a fact that the performance of those mountebanks whom you were going to send to prison cheered her spirits and produced that revulsion which has progressed during the remainder of the day, and has this evening rendered her completely docile and pliant.” ‘““ Well,’ observed the baronet, “‘ we must keep her amused to-morrow; but she must not be suffered to set foot outside the premises, except in the garden at the back of the house—”’ ‘‘ Leave everything to me,” interrupted Mrs. Oxenden. ‘¢ You see that Laura’s mind is so artless and innocent, it is the least thing childish, — or at all events girlish,— and she is amused by a trifle. Only think, Sir John, of what an amiable, unsophisticated young creature you are about to have as a wife! But as for the amusements of to-morrow, I took care to tell those itinerant jugglers to come again, and I will make them stop as long as Laura appears to be diverted with them.” The conversation between this most delectable couple was carried on for a little while longer, and then they separated to their respective chambers, — Mrs. Oxenden to reflect with secret triumph on those schemes which were to give her im- mediate possession of ten thousand pounds, and the pros- ECORMICLIOO KS (E(0)