The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 283: what you’re looking at

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

256 REYNOLDS’ WORKS mind is clearer now, my ideas are collected, I shall be able to listen to you. Proceed, before the cloud again comes over me.”’ : “You see that stone bears the date of October, 1830,” began the sexton, “ but it was in the beginning of the same year — therefore a matter of eight months before that date —that as I was coming early one morning to open the church to ring the bells for a marriage which was to take place, I saw a female lying across one of the graves with her face downwards. I hastened toward her, and lifted her up. I thought she was dead; she was as pale as a corpse, and as cold as one too. But how beautiful! ” : ‘Ah, beautiful indeed! ’’ murmured Crazy Jane. “ But goon, goon. Had she dark hair — long, flowing dark hair? ”’ “In truth she had not at that time,” replied the old sexton, “‘ for her head had been closely shaved.” “Oh, to cut off that beautiful, beautiful hair! ’’ exclaimed the mad woman, clasping her hands and shaking herself as if in rage from head to foot. “Did you know her, then? ”’ asked old Jonathan, eagerly. “Ts it possible that you knew her, or do you only suspect who she was? ”’ “No matter,’ interrupted Crazy Jane, impatiently. ‘“ Proceed, I tell you.’’ “ Well,’ continued the sexton, glancing at his singular companion’s countenance in order to assure himself, so far as he could judge, that she was in a suitable frame of mind to hear what he had to say, and therefore to render it worth while for him to proceed, ‘‘ I went and picked up the lady, as I have just told you, — for a lady she was by every ap- pearance, though her dress was much travel-soiled, — and I found that she was in a deep swoon. I bore her off to the parsonage, which you see close by. The rector and his family were all absent at the time, on a visit to some friends in Lancashire; there was no one but a female servant in the house, but she did her best to recover the poor lady from her insensibility. When she opened her eyes — ”’ ‘“‘ And those eyes,” ejaculated Crazy Jane, eagerly, “‘ were large and dark, bright, but sweetly expressive? Oh, me- thinks I see them now!’ and the poor creature suddenly burst forth into an agony of convulsive sobs. “Truly this woman must have known that lady well,’ ECORMICLIOO KS (E(0)