The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 59: what you’re looking at

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

40 REYNOLDS’ WORKS travellers. ‘There is a museum of curiosities at the hospice, most of them being the sad memorials of the perished ones whose corpses have been at different times found amidst the snows of the mountains. These curiosities, memorials, and relics were displayed to the family with whom the valet was travelling, and he himself lkewise saw them. Amongst them he recognized a pecuilar ring which had belonged to the Viscount Delorme. He questioned the monks on the sub- ject, and it appeared, on reference to the catalogue, that this ring, together with other valuables, were found upon the corpse of a gentleman several years back. The corpse, though completely preserved at the time, nevertheless af- forded indications of having been for a considerable period previous to its discovery — perhaps two or three years — embedded in the snowdrift where it was eventually found. There were no papers about the person of the unfortunate individual to show who he was, but he had several articles of jewelry and a considerable sum of money in his possession. It being impossible to establish his identity, the property thus found upon him was rendered available for the funds of the St. Bernard establishment, according to the laws of the canton. For a long time the corpse was left exposed in the dead-house, in the hope that some passing traveller might chance to recognize it, for the dead are preserved for many years in a lifelike state of freshness in that Alpine region. But at length the remains were interred; and as for the jewels, all had been converted into money with the exception of that one ring, which was kept as a means of affording some clue for accident to develop toward the identification of the deceased. It was this report which the valet, on his return to France, conveyed to the ears of the marchioness, and it was in consequence thereof that she at once undertook that long and perilous journey, in company with Alired Delorme, to ascertain for their own melancholy satisfaction the truth of the details which had thus reached them.”’ ‘How wildly singular is this tale!’ said Zoe. ‘“‘ It is full of the marvel of romance. Well has the poet: said that truth is stranger than fiction.”’ “Yes, wild, and strange, and yet how mournful in every one of its phases,’”’ responded Clarine, with a profound sigh. ‘You may easily suppose, my dear Zoe, that when I heard this narrative last night; I listened to it with an interest so ECORNIClIOOKS (€(0)