The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 188: what you’re looking at

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

THE YOUNG BARONET 161 servants boldly refuse to obey me; so that well-nigh driven to madness, I resolved to fly to you. And then, too,” she added, in a tone that suddenly became soft and languishing, ‘there was another reason — ”’ ~“ Listen, Mrs. Oxenden,’”’ interrupted our hero. “ You are safe from further insult for the remainder of this night. I will take the earliest opportunity to-morrow morning to speak to Sir Edgar. And now leave me.”’ For an instant Mrs. Oxenden bit her hp with vexation. She had studiously arrayed herself in that meretricious manner in the hope of exercising the influence of her charms upon our hero’s passions; she had succeeded in drawing him into conversation, and in already remaining for ten minutes in his room, despite his first peremptory command that she should retire; it was true that he had spoken to her with averted countenance, and that not for a single instant had his eyes lingered upon her voluptuously exposed charms, but still she had flattered herself that she had ob- tained a sufficient footing in that chamber to give promise of success in the design which she had formed, when all in a moment he had cut her short and once more peremptorily bidden her begone. Thus was it that for an instant she bit her lip with vexation, but the next moment regaining com- plete control over herself, she resolved to return to her siege batteries and play off the artillery of her charms and wiles on points which she hoped would be more vulnerable and sensitive. Her first aim had been to appeal to his magnani- mous sympathy by an exaggeration of some few little slights which she had received at the hands of the domestics, and artfully cunning as she was, she knew that, in ninety-nine cases out of a hundred, for a beautiful woman to engage a man’s compassion was already going far toward conquering him completely. “You bid me quit your chamber, Mr. Ashton,” she said, “in a tone which corresponds but indifferently with the generosity of the remarks you had previously made, and with the magnanimity of the feeling you displayed toward me. You have heard me thus far; you must hear me on to the end.” , ‘““ Mrs. Oxenden, I insist upon your leaving me,” exclaimed Christian, in whose mind suspicions of a sinister purpose on her part were engendered by the pertinacity with COMNICLOO© ‘Ss (CO)