The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 111: what you’re looking at

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

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But he did not scem to take! and nutritious food for her invalid mothcr: bet any notice of the emctions his words and manner} while she was sc doing she experienced a gradual taus excited; and having scrutinized the duplicates, { return of that feeling of sadness which had arisen he gathered them all up in @ methodinal way, from the distressing ecene of the previous night. wrapped them in paper, and thrust them into his} The thought that she had been suspected by her capacious breeches-pocke". j mother rankled in the poor girl’s heart—not with “I shall take care of there and ‘cok over them | any sentiment of bitterness against that parent, again at my leisure,” he said: then fixing his eyes! whom she forgave from the bottom of her soul; bat upon Henrietta, he asked, “ Do you like the stage ? | with a deep sorrow to think that her own conduct and do you want to keep on it ?” had not been sufficient in all its purity to guarantee She burst into tears, as if the very question were | her against such an injurious suspicion. an insult to her pure and delicate feolings. Mrs. Leyden, who watched her attentively during “T could worship the generous benefactor,” cried {| her present occupation, observed tho natural pen- Urs. Leyden, “who would enable that dear girl to | siveness of her countenance gradually deepening quit a profession which she abhors, and to which | into mournfulness: and shedivined the cause. Bat nothing but a dire necessity could have induced her } she thought that the best plan under present cir- to have recourse. When we were first reduced to | cumstances was to say nothing more upon the sub- distress, she endeavoured to support us by needle- | ject. Not that she was above repeating her prayer work: but i¢ was eo precarious and so badly | for forgiveness at her daughter's hand; but because paid———” she fancied that the loss that was eaid upon the Of course it is!" ejaculated the visitor. “Don’t : matter the sooner the impression of it would wear you know that in this Christian country which gave | away from the young girl’s mind. Besides, if any twenty millions to emancipate the black slaves inj portion of the promises at which their late visitor the West Indies, there are swarms and swarms of | had hinted should receive fulfilment, Mrs. Leyden white slaves for whom this same Christian country | cheered herself with the hope that ia the juyous would not voluntarily give twenty million pence ? | excitement produced by a change of circumstances, But no matter: let us talk of your own affairs. | Henrietta would very speedily forget the little in- Do you think, ma’am, that you could bear removal | cident which was now occupying ber thoughts. from this wretched den to a little better lodging, if| Nor did Mrs. Leyden fail to perceive something such were provided for you P” that might even be termed satisfactory in the way Mrs. , in a few words,—but theee were | that Henrietta had taken the thing to heart: for uttered in a tone of deepest feeling,—gave the gen- | did 1¢ not prove that the young maiden was de- Cleman to understand that she thought and hoped | licately sensitive in respect to her virtue, and that her indisposition had been produced, and indeed was | the least breath of suspicion tarnishing the fair now continued, more by want of proper nourishment | mirror of her reputation was esteemed by Ler as & and by grief and anxiety than by anything more | misfortune not to be borne? serious; and while she was speaking Henrietta) A more comforteble meal than for many a long gazed with mingled hope and suspense upon the | day had been partaken of by this family, was pre- visitor's countenance, in order to gleam fron. its| sently served up by Henrietta’s own hands; and expression whether she dared anticipate that such a | when she saw how her little brother enjoyed him- change could be effected on her mothor’s behalf as | self, and how her mother’s spirits were rallying the one he had alluded to. under the genial influences of hope, the poor girl's “Well,” he said, with looks that were inscrutable, ; countenance again brightened up, and she appeared * we must see what is to be done. I think that you j to forget the ocourrence which had been troubling her. are a very good girl, Miss Henriette: for the mo-; Scareely was the meal over, when heavy fuotateps THE MYOTRRIES OF TER COURT. Sree mie ment you got money, you did not go and dress yourself out in finery as most young persons of your age would have done,—and besices, you thought of your mother and brother first. I am very well pleased at that. As for the fifteen shillings you spent in embellishing this-little fellow here, I can’t find it in my heart to blame you for the outlay, although it was rather extravagant: he is a sweet boy, and it’s natural to wish to see him Jook well. I do not mean to say any more at present— but it’s very likely you will hear from me again.” When the eccentric visitor had taken his leave, little Charley caught hold of his sister’s hand, say- ing, “I don’t like that old gentleman: he seems so cross and ill-tempered, and he made you cry once——”" “Yes, my dear Charley: but you must like him, though,” returned Henrietta; “for he is no doubt @ very good man. Oh, my dear mother!” ex- claimed the young girl, turning towards her parent, “is there not now some beam of hope for us?” ne I think so. Pray God that it is so!” answered Henrietta now bastencd to prepare some good gy [yaa Eee no ee 2 ee wero heard ascending the staire: then there was a loud knock at the chamber-door—and on little Charley, who was now all life and spirits, rushing forward to answer the summons, a man in the garb of an hotel-porter made his appearance laden with packages. The instant Henrietta’s eyes embraced those packaves at a glance, she recognized the nu- merous parcels which from time to time, and wits almost a breaking heart, she had borne to the pawn- broker’s ;—and if on those occasions she had wept bitter tears of hopelcsancss and despair, she now burst into tears again, but with joy, and gratitude, and gladness ! “A gentleman has sent me up with all these things,” observed the porter, who was a pood- tempered fellow himself and had not failed to cog- prehend that he had been made, though bumfly and partially, tho instrument of a good action. “Well, Miss, you had better cry for joy than fur sorrow,” he went on to say. “ But the old gentle- man desired me to tell you that you are all to be ready this evening between five and six o'clock, a2 he shall come and fetch you to go to some ner lodgings.” DOO (G a ee aon SE eee —— Ee “ib - (ii EE EE CES i I IN eee SS (CO Eee eee 2