The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 83: what you’re looking at

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

64 REYNOLDS’ WORKS liveliest sense, but my own idea of propriety must not be absorbed therein, nor the duty that I owe toward my father. If you purpose to remain in this neighbourhood, and we stand a chance of meeting again, I must assuredly mention to my father the acquaintance which I have had the honour to form.’ It was thus that I spoke.”’ “ And you spoke wisely and well,’’ exclaimed Zoe, in a tone of enthusiasm. ‘‘ I am delighted to hear that such was your conduct, Clarine. It was dignified and becoming, without the slightest sacrifice of that gratitude which you owed to the saviour of your life.” ‘Yes, it was thus I spoke,’’ said Mademoiselle Volney, ‘and my deliverer looked distressed. He paced to and fro on the spot where we had halted; I began to be alarmed that I had fallen in with some unworthy character, especially as I now recollected that he had not even mentioned his name nor where he was living, nor what business had brought him into that neighbourhood. ‘ Do you,’ he at length said, ‘insist upon knowing who I am?’ ‘I do,’ I answered, ‘ if there be any chance of our meeting again.’ Then he told me a tale of how he had been engaged in a political conspiracy, how he had been obliged to flee from Paris, and how he had sought this distant and secluded neighbourhood in the hope that he might dwell unrecognized here for a few weeks, while his influential friends in the capital exerted all their interest to hush up the matter. He added that he was per- sonally known to my father, whom he had seen at Fontaine- bleau a few years back, when he was a youth, and that therefore if. he now presented himself to my sire, the latter would be endangering his own safety by not surrendering him up to justice. Finally he informed me that his name was Claude Masson, that he was a gentleman of wealth and excellent family, that he had no doubt his friends would shortly succeed in smoothing down the temporary difficul- ties which beset his path, and he therefore threw himself completely on my mercy.”’ ‘“‘ And what response did you make, my dear Clarine? ”’ inquired Zoe. ‘“T at once assured him,’ replied Mademoiselle Volney, ‘that not for worlds would I do aught that should injure a hair of his head; that therefore I would keep profoundly secret his presence in the neighbourhood, as well as all he ECORNIClIOOKS (E(0)