The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 36: what you’re looking at

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

VERNER HOUSE IY to exercise a sufficient degree of patience to keep him there as a mere beholder, in the midst of the dense foliage of that tree. The negress, we have said, caught the young lady by the arm, and appeared to use threatening language toward her, whereat she seemed smitten with dismay, and she suffered the black woman to lead her along toward the baronet, who was approaching across the grass-plat with his shuffling, shambling gait. He said something to her; Laura averted her countenance as if in mingled anguish and aversion. Sir John went on speaking; she slowly turned her eyes upon him again, she listened with a deepening attention, and then Christian saw the old man take her hand and continue his discourse. That hand of hers lingered in his; she ap- peared to listen with a deepening interest, but Christian was too far off to discern the precise expression of her counte- nance, though he thought that it indicated a painful serious- ness. Slowly did Sir John Steward insinuate an arm around Laura’s waist; for a few moments she did not appear to notice it, but as if all in an instant becoming aware that such was the case, she abruptly disengaged herself. Then the negress spoke and gesticulated vehemently; the baronet made her a sign to be quiet, and he seemed to go on addressing Laura in @ coaxing, cajoling strain. This much Christian judged from his gestures, but, whether it were so or not, Laura suddenly interrupted him by clasping her hands and saying something with an air of the most touching appeal. The baronet gave a brief response, and turned aside in one direction, while Laura and the negress, withdrawing in the other, reéntered the mansion. A few minutes afterward Mrs. Oxenden came forth and rejoined Sir John Steward. They had not been together many moments when a footman in handsome livery accosted them and delivered some message. He withdrew, but shortly reappeared, conducting a gentleman dressed in deep black, and who had the appearance of a clergyman, or, as a second thought suggested to Christian, of a Catholic priest, by certain peculiarities in his apparel. The footman retired, and the visitor in black remained for about ten minutes in conversation with Sir John Steward and Mrs. Oxenden. They then all three slowly entered the mansion together, and as another half-hour passed without the reappearance EOMINGIOOKS (CO)