The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 339: what you’re looking at

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

308 REYNOLDS’ WORKS A very pious gentleman will take you into his keeping; he will pension you handsomely, and when your child is born, — which I suppose will be in about five months, — he must pro- vide for it liberally, because you will have him completely in your power. He has got a wife and large family, and if you only threaten to go to his house and create a disturbance, you might bring him to any terms. He is immensely rich, and as thorough-paced a hypocrite as ever the sun shone upon. Of course, my dear girl, you will keep your condition a secret as long as you can; and between you and me, I have assured him that you are but one remove from complete chastity — However, you will know how to manage your white-cravatted puritan; and now come and be introduced to him. Stop, you can throw a kerchief over your neck, so as to appear modest, and you can easily suffer it to glide off, as if quite unconsciously, in the bashful confusion of your thoughts.” Linda was well pleased with the arrangements thus sketched forth, and the kerchief being duly thrown over her neck, she accompanied Madame Angelique to the boudoir, where Mr. White Choker had in the meantime penned the cheque for five hundred guineas. Linda appeared all blushing modesty, and her looks were bent down as the saint devoured her with his gloating eyes. There was a little conversation, during which the kerchief glided off from the siren’s white neck and voluptuous bosom, and her triumph was complete. In the evening Mr. White Choker came in a street-cab to fetch away his charmer, and though he dared not use his own private carriage for the purpose, he nevertheless prom- ised that on the following day Linda should have the most beautiful turnout of her own that was to be seen in all London. He installed her in a beautiful little suburban villa, ready furnished, and which he had hired offhand for her immediate accommodation. ‘Then, as an excuse for passing that first night away from home, he assured the wife of his bosom, the excellent Mrs. White Choker, that he was going to keep a vigil of blessed prayer by the bedside of a dear brother in the good work, who was lying at that extremity which was but the passport to the realm of eternal bliss. Scarcely had Madame Angelique completed her transaction with Mr. White Choker, when the Honourable Augustus Softly was announced. This young gentleman had just en- EORMICIOOKS m