The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 43: what you’re looking at

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

CHAPTER III EDGAR BEVERLEY “In what I am about to relate,” began Edgar Beverley, “‘ you will pardon me if I do not particularize names, as you will see by the nature of my history that it involves certain delicate matters, and should the results turn out contrary to my apprehensions, in a word, should the sad misgivings which haunt me prove unfounded, I should naturally regret having specially mentioned the names of individuals with disparagement. ~The reserve, therefore, which on this point I am about to maintain must not be regarded as a want of confidence, but only as a proper and honourable precaution.”’ ‘‘ Rest assured,’ answered Christian, “‘ that I shall take this precaution on your part as another proof of those good qualities which I have already learned to admire in you.” “Thanking you, my new friend, for your favourable . opinion,”’ said Beverley, ‘‘ I will at once enter upon my tale. But it is necessary that I should commence with a few par- ticulars relative to my parentage and my family. My father was the younger brother of a man of wealth and title; he was poor, being totally dependent on his commission as a captain in the same service to which I now belong, and he mortally offended all his relatives by wedding a young lady whose beauty and accomplishments constituted her only dower.. Of that union I was the sole issue, and my mother died a few weeks after giving me birth. My father was long inconsolable for her loss, until at length he became sensible of his duty toward me, and reflected that as she had left behind her a pledge of her love, the infant ought now to engross all his care. And he became the fondest of parents tome. He obtained the rank of major a few years after my 24 Gomiilchboo “S (E(0)