The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 203: what you’re looking at

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

THE MYSTERIES OF THE PAST 181 ‘‘ brilliant prospects,’’ consented to all the arrangements he suggested; and he accordingly seldom spent the night at the house, although scarcely a day passed without his calling and staying several hours with her. Such was the influence he obtained over Melissa that he persuaded her to keep these circumstances secret from her sisters at Rochester when she wrote to them, and she did so. In due course the birth of a daughter, whom she christened Clara, gave her the occupations of a mother, and thus agreeably filled up the intervals when Mr. Beckford was absent. Here we must interrupt that portion of the narrative which regards Melissa, in order to speak of Lilian. This beautiful but by no means steady-minded young creature remained with her sister Lydia at the dwelling near Rochester, and she also fell in with a handsome young gentleman who be- came enamoured of her charms. This admirer was named Bernard Audley. He was connected with the aristocracy, had been educated at Cambridge, and was shortly to be ordained for the Church. Lilian stood more than her other sisters had done in terror of Lydia, and Lydia herself, feeling a sort of maternal responsibility toward Lilian, who was the youngest, kept as jealous a watch as possible over the young damsel. Nevertheless, Lilian contrived to meet her lover in secret. He offered marriage, and she believed, but having less command over her passions than Melissa, she had not the moral strength to resist the overtures of Bernard Audley, and her virtue was accordingly surrendered to his keeping. He devised a well-concocted tale to account for his delay in making her his own, alleging that he was scarcely yet of age, entirely dependent upon his friends, and picturing nought but. ruin for himself and utter poverty for both if he at present made Lilian his wife. The credulous girl be- lieved implicitly all he told her, but when she found herself in a way to become a mother, she grew earnest in her entreat- ies that he would espouse her at any risk. Still he pro- crastinated the fulfilment of his solemn promise, and Lilian’s situation grew day by day less tolerable and more desperate. At length her sister Lydia began to suspect that some- thing was wrong, though she was very far from conjecturing that matters were so bad as they really were. She had a serious conversation with Lilian, and the latter, in her utter despair, displayed a spirit which led to some little altercation. (C(O) nn) GDoOo “Si in