The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 198: what you’re looking at

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

THE NEGRESS 171 to bear up to that room any drugged and insensible vic- tim — ”’ ‘“And you, I suppose,” said Christian, scarcely able to repress the indignant bitterness of his feelings or prevent them from showing themselves in his accents, — “ you, I suppose, were the attendant upon these unfortunate victims of a hideous lust; you witnessed their tears, you turned a deaf ear to their prayers, — perhaps you used threats — But go on, go on, and let me know to what issue your narra- tive of abominations is tending.” ‘A few days ago, sir,’ continued the negress, ‘‘ in the middle of the very night before Mrs. Oxenden arrived from Brighton on her second visit — ”’ “You mean when she brought her sister Laura hither? ”’ said Christian, inquiringly. ‘Exactly so, sir. In the middle of that night, a certain well-known signal was given, by the pulling of a particular bell at the front door, but which bell rang in Sir John’s room. He speedily got up, and came to summon me. I knew what it meant; the thing had often and often hap- pened before. We went down to the front door, and received a beautiful young creature from the care of a couple of women and a man who had carried her off by force from some place, I don’t know where, and brought her down to Verner House.”’ ‘““ And those wretches, I presume,”’ said Christian, “‘ were the infamous agents who pandered to Sir John Steward’s lusts, and whom he doubtless kept continually in his pay? ”’ “ Just so, sir,’ answered the negress. “‘ They had a roving commission, if I may use the term, empowering them to pick up beauties wherever they could find them, and bring them straight to Verner House. No matter the distance, they might take post-chaises for hundreds of miles; they knew perfectly well that Sir John would pay for them liberally, as well as all their other expenses — ”’ ‘‘ No doubt,” observed Christian. ‘‘ But about this beauti- ful girl of whom you are speaking? ”’ ‘She was in a dead swoon, sir, when delivered into our hands,” answered the negress, “‘ for it seems she had been brought a good many, many miles, and she was worn out with fatigue and grief. Everything was done silently and cautiously as usual, but there was no need to drug whatso- EOMINGIOOKS (CO)