The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 290: what you’re looking at

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

THE JUNGLE 261 there were. And yet how different was the case! Within the dense shade of the underwood wild beasts were lazily reposing, rendered languid almost to torpor by the stifling heat. Within the cup of the wild flower some venomous little reptile was coiled up, the cobra was concealed in the grass, and what seemed to be an uncouthly swollen part of the branch of some tall tree was in reality the boa-con- strictor twisted and twined around into a loathsome, slimy knot. And there was an observer amidst that scene. By the side of a pool a man was seated, bathing his feet, yet half- afraid to dip them into the still water for fear lest some monster should thrust up its huge head to seize upon his limbs. Parched with thirst, he drank and drank again, and yet the water refreshed him not, for it was tepid, it was warm to sickliness. Profoundly unhappy seemed that man, and yet his was a countenance that could scarcely express anything beyond the ferocity and devilish wickedness which belonged to his character. His garments, of a European fashion, were travel-soiled; and as the man sat by that pool, he ever and anon looked around him, as if in utter consternation and dismay when the sense smote him of the stupendous loneli- ness and utter helplessness of his position. Presently that dense silence was broken by the sound of something rustling in the brake on the opposite side of the pool, and the object, whatever it were, plunged into the water, which rippled sluggishly and became still and smooth again. With what awful terror did that man spring up to his feet! How literally did his hair stand on end! What intense anguish, what excruciating suspense, what ineffable dread were depicted upon his countenance! An observer, if there had been one, might have forgotten his abhorrent ugliness in the sense of compassion which would have been felt for a being who evidently suffered such dire horror. And no wonder that he should so suffer, for when that sound broke thus suddenly upon his startled ear, a thousand crucifying apprehensions swept through his brain. Was it a huge serpent about to fling out its hideous length at him and encircle him in its slimy, horrible, deadly folds? or was it a tiger springing at him? or was it some other monster belonging to that scene in the midst of which he found him- GOMIIGIOOKS (C(O)