The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 201: what you’re looking at

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

THE MYSTERIES OF THE PAST 179 no letters of introduction with him to any of the families in the city or neighbourhood, and did not appear to seek acquaintances. Yet he was evidently well off, for he was attended by his valet and groom, had a couple of horses, and passed the greater portion of his time in riding about the country. During one of these equestrian jaunts he fell in with Melissa, as she was rambling out alone. We will not pause to say upon what pretext he addressed her. Suffice it to observe that, being smitten with her beauty, he did address her, and she displayed but little prudery on being accosted by so handsome a young man. Before he well knew who she was, or that she belonged to a family not overcelebrated for prudence or propriety, and one member of which had already eloped with a paramour, he fell so deeply in love with Melissa that he offered her marriage. This proposal she was by no means likely to reject, especially as she herself reciprocated that passion with an equal degree of fervour. They were accustomed to meet in the secluded walks and lanes in the vicinage of the cathedral city; and as Mr. Beck- ford (as he called himself) knew no one in those parts to tell him anything about the Halkin family, and, indeed, as he kept this little love-affair entirely to himself, he continued wooing, with every appearance of honourable intention, where in reality he might at first have achieved a conquest upon much easier terms. We have said that Melissa soon learned to love him fondly, and this was the case. She adored him with all an impas- sioned woman’s glowing affection, and she soon began to contemplate with pride and hopefulness the time when she was to become his wife. So vehement were his protestations of honourable intentions that in the midst of this glow of passion she still retained her chastity; and by thus repelling such advances as he made to possess her, she confirmed his belief that she was a young lady who must be wooed as a wife to be won at all. Thus went on this love-affair for some months, and at length Mr. Beckford told her that the reasons which had compelled him to remain in seclusion at Rochester had ceased to exist. Indeed, it was a chancery suit in which he had been engaged, which in its multifarious ramifications had threatened him with arrest for what is termed ‘‘ contempt of court; ”’ but the fault in the proceed- (C(O) nn) (C 6)(0)©) So! in