The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 239: what you’re looking at

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

CONCLUSION OF THE MYSTERIES 217 into his arms, for she knew full well that when the service was performed in Paris, he would be sure to come back and claim that same favour as his reward. The Earl of Curzon, flushed with the triumph he had achieved in at last winning that splendid and seductive woman, cheerfully undertook the commission entrusted to him; and engaging the services of Captain Tash and his man Robin, at once set off for Paris, where he accomplished the deliverance of Jocelyn Loftus in the manner described in an earlier part of our tale. But inasmuch as it for obvious reasons suited Venetia’s purpose that Jocelyn should remain ignorant of who the authoress of this proceeding in his favour might be, and that he should obtain no clue to the eventual discovery thereof, his liberators were instructed to disguise themselves personally and also conceal their names, all of which they did. But in the meantime Sir Douglas Huntingdon was en- gaged in the execution of the task that Venetia had confided to him. We must, however, first observe that, as Venetia had foreseen, the Marquis of Leveson went to No. 18, Stratton Street, and seeing his old friend, Miss Bathurst, told her “‘ that a girl named Louisa Stanley was at his house, and that she persisted in declaring that her sister Clara was residing with a certain Mr. and Mrs. Beckford there, at the said No. 13, Stratton Street.’’ Miss Bathurst could not conceal her dismay at this announcement, for she naturally fancied that Louisa would persevere in her in- quiries after her sister, that the marquis would aid her, and that a complete discovery and exposure would ensue. In this dilemma Miss Bathurst threw herself upon the mercy of her old friend the Marquis of Leveson, and confided to him everything, beseeching his assistance in devising some excuse to satisfy Louisa and divert her from further in- quiries relative to her sister. The marquis, secretly over- joyed at having elicited such an important revelation, which suddenly put the brilliant Venetia (as he hoped) completely in his power, readily promised to further Miss Bathurst’s views. He of course had nothing to gain by giving pub- licity to what he had thus discovered, but, on the contrary, it was by keeping the secret that he expected to reduce the haughty Lady Sackville to submission. Reassuring Miss Bathurst as to the course he should (C(O) nn) GDoOo <Si nin