The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 221: what you’re looking at

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

CHAPTER XVI THE COMMITTEE OF PRIVILEGES AuTHoucs the right and title of the young Duke of March- mont appeared to have been universally admitted, although he entered at once upon possession of the mansions, revenues, and vast domains, and although not the slightest opposition was from any quarter displayed, and no pettifogging attorney endeavoured to rake up a case with the view of being bought off so as not to throw trouble in the way, yet was it absolutely necessary, for the sake alike of form and law, that our young hero should prove his claims before a committee of privileges of the House of Lords. For this purpose the expiration of two or three months had to be awaited for the assembling of Parliament. Queen Indora therefore remained in England, because Lord Clandon was himself forced to tarry for that committee, and it was arranged that her Majesty and his lordship were to return to India together. We will not now pause to describe how passed the time during this interval, but we will at once proceed to state that on the assembling of Parliament the lords appointed a com- mittee to conduct the investigation. Mr. Coleman, assisted by able doctors of civil law, managed the entire case, and it was naturally his study to present the evidence in its most consecutive form to the noble committee. The young Duke of Marchmont himself was the first wit- ness in his own case. He stated that himself and his sister Christina had been brought up from their earliest infancy by a gentleman of the name of Ashton, who resided at a village in Westmoreland, at a distance of about twenty-five miles from Woodbridge. Christian and Christina had always been led to suppose that Mr. Ashton was their uncle, and that their own parents had died when they were babes. 196 CORNIELNOOLKS (E(©)