The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 362: what you’re looking at

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

AMY 30 | down the beautifully handsome face of Christian and the sweetly beautiful countenance of Christina. Mr. Redcliffe at length turned slowly away from the window. His complexion, which has been described as being made up of sallowness bronzed with the sun, now appeared of a dead white; his face was indeed ghastly pale. That cold, stern look which he had habitually wore, and which was almost saturnine, chilling the beholder who was unaccustomed to it, had totally disappeared, and was succeeded by one of the deepest melancholy; but it was a mournfulness that had something awfully solemn in it. He advanced toward the twins, and taking their hands he said, in a voice that was scarcely audible, ‘‘ My dear children, — for as such I mean to look upon you henceforth, — [can weep with you over those memorials of the mother who died in your infancy. You love and revere her memory. Oh, never fail thus to cherish, thus to cling to it; for it is sweet to think of a departed parent who is now a saint in heaven.” At the same moment the same idea struck the twins; simultaneously too were their looks bent in eager, anxious inquiry upon Mr. Redcliffe’s countenance, and their lips gave utterance at the same moment to precisely the same words. “ Our mother — did you know her? ”’ Mr. Redcliffe turned aside, raised his hand to his brow, and for an instant seemed to stagger as if under the influence of a hurricane of memories sweeping through his brain. The orphans watched him with a still more earnest gaze, —a still more anxious interest than before, for they felt as if they stood upon the threshold of hitherto unanticipated revealings. “Yes, I knew her,’ slowly responded Mr. Redcliffe, again turning toward the brother and sister. ‘‘ I knew your poor mother. It is this circumstance, my dear children, which inspires me with so vivid an interest on your behalf. But you must ask me no questions at present —I can tell you nothing more yet. The time may shortly come when — But do not press me now. Above all things, breathe not a syllable elsewhere of what has taken place between us. Let it be sufficient for you to know that in me you have found one who will watch over your interests, who will study your CORAICLOO© cS (CO)