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 MYSTERIES. 278 away; ° me |. We ) © ee os as [PAULINE CLARENDON. ] Rperation he can make you, otherwise than by leading you to the altar: I answer emphatically thet he can be forced to espouse you !” “ Impossible!” exclaimed Octavia, starting up as if obedient to the sudden influence of a galvanic battery: then, clasping her hands together, she cried, “No—no, my beloved sister: you are de- ceiving yourself—you are deceiving me;—for did younot just now declare that, even if his affection were still mine, I could not enjoy it in honour to | ious! myself.” “Yes — I spoke thus — in haste — and without remembering at the instant that there was a pos- shility of adopting ulterior means,” said Paaline. “Besides—I was anxious to probe all the varied feelings of your mind———” “But you have spoken of ulterior means ? in- terropted Octavia: “ Oh! tell me—keep me not in sepense, dear sister—those means——And yet,” she —_— franticly interrupting herself and dashing her open palms wildly agninst her polished brow ; “it were madness to entertain such a hope “Not so foolish as you conceive, Octavia,” answered Pauline, in a tone of partial triumph. “A secret of the utmost importance is in my keeping—a secret which only became known to me on Sunday last, while I was out with Gabriel during your absence at church-——” “And that secret?” exclaimed Octavia, anx- y. “Involves the honour of a lady of the highest rank——” “ But it will not save my honour, Pauline,” inter- rupted the elder sister, bitterly. “Oh! what in the name of heaven has all this to do with my un- happy case™ she demanded, gazing in astonish- ment upon Pauline. “ What do you mean?” “I mean that the lady who became a mother at our recent abode, under such mysterious circum. stances——-” Oa er Pn CONRAN ateylo) SS COMM