The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 331: what you’re looking at

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

300 REYNOLDS’ WORKS climax; his creditors — most of whom were now kept quiet by promises, or else were ignorant that he was in London — would flock around him like a nest of hornets. The reader will therefore comprehend that it was a matter of the most vital importance for Lord Rushbrook to procure without delay the wherewith to satisfy the creditor who sought to plunge him into prison. He knew full well that although Anastatia was supplied with ample means for all her current expenses — and that though she might let him have (as indeed she had frequently done) a hundred pounds — it was totally useless to ask her to furnish from her own purse the much larger amount that he needed. He dared not explain to his brother-in-law the precise truth of the adventure with the false Lascar, because he knew. perfectly well that not for a single minute would Sir Frederick Latham put faith in such a tale, but that on the contrary he would be sure to regard it as the most shallow and impudent pretext for obtaining an additional supply of money. What course was the viscount to adopt? He knew not; he was cruelly bewildered, he was miserably. perplexed. He had no heart for the enjoyment of the fes- tivities to which he had come, but he had made his appear- ance at Tudor Lodge in the hope that the chapter of accidents might evolve some circumstance which he could possibly turn to his advantage. Thus, if, for instance, he should find his brother-in-law in a better mood toward him than usual, if the gratified vanity of beholding a grand entertain- ment prove most brilliantly successful should open the heart of the City merchant, or again, if it were possible to induce Anastatia to plead on his behalf, devising some pretext for the plea itself, Lord Rushbrook was determined to be ready to take advantage of any such favourable incident. Amongst the equipages which rolled up to the entrance of Tudor. House was the carriage of Queen Indora, and this contained Christian and Christina. The moment they en- tered the brilliantly lighted saloon, Sir Frederick Latham led his wife forward to greet the twins with a fitting welcome, and the amiable Anastatia, already predisposed to like them, was at once smitten with the conviction that her sympathies had flowed in a channel which would yield no future cause for regret. ‘There was something so exceedingly interesting, even pathetically touching, in the appearance of this brother ECORNICLIOOKS (E(0)