The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 361: what you’re looking at

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

330 REYNOLDS’ WORKS which, through Christian, he had expressed a wish to behold. ‘‘'Yes,”’ answered our heroine, with a tone and look of tender sadness, as she produced a small casket of Ori- ental workmanship, and which was one of the numer- ous gifts she had received from the Princess of Indera- bad. Mr. Redcliffe took the casket from her hand, and opened it with as reverential an air as the twins themselves could have displayed when proceeding to the contemplation of memorials that so intimately concerned themselves. First he drew forth a long tress of raven hair, — a tress which we have described in an earlier chapter of this narrative as one that must have constituted part of a luxuriant mass which might have formed the glory of a queen, — ay, or the envy of a queen! and while he surveyed it with a long and earnest attention, the brother and sister instinctively wound their arms about each other’s neck, and pressed each other’s hand, as they exchanged looks of unspeakable fondness. Then Mr. Redcliffe drew forth from the casket a beautiful gold watch of delicate fashion and exquisite workmanship, and as he contemplated it, the tears trickled down his cheeks. “Yes, Mr. Redcliffe can appreciate,’’ responded Christina, “the feelings with which you and I, dear brother, have been wont to gaze for hours and hours on the memorials of a mother who was snatched from us ere we had minus 8 gence to comprehend her loss.”’ Clement Redcliffe now opened another little packet which he took from the casket, and this packet contained two rings. One has been already described as a wedding-ring; the other, likewise a lady’s, was of no considerable value but of exquisite workmanship. And now Mr. Redcliffe pro- ceeded to the window with these two rings, and as he con- templated them, his back was turned toward the orphans. There he remained for at least five minutes — motionless as a statue — with his eyes evidently riveted upon the rings, and the orphans did not approach him. They still felt persuaded that in the goodness of his heart he was deeply touched on their account, while surveying these relics of their long dead mother. It was altogether a scene of the most pathetic interest, and the tears were trickling Gomiichboo CS (E(0)