The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 241: what you’re looking at

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

CONCLUSION OF THE MYSTERIES 219 resolved on. With a hastily devised apology for bidding Louisa so abrupt a farewell, and with the old standard excuse for not presenting her to the Beckfords, she lost no time in sending her off to Canterbury. The next incident to which we must call attention was one connected. with the private theatricals that took place at Carlton House. On that occasion, be it remembered, Jocelyn Loftus, when there for the purpose of seeking an interview with the prince, recognized Clara Stanley in the brilliant Lady Sackville. His astonishment knew no bounds and for Louisa’s sake was he deeply, deeply grieved. Having seen the elder sister’s letters from London to his beloved Louisa, he knew that this dear girl was utterly ignorant of Clara’s career under the name of Venetia, and he therefore at once formed the resolve not to enlighten Louisa upon the subject on his return to Canterbury. He did not then fore- see that a second visit to the Continent would be prolonged for seven months, and he thought that it would be better to wait until his return ere he made so startling a revelation to his betrothed as that her own sister and the Venetia of whom she had heard so much evil were identical. Nor did he present himself to Lady Sackville on this occasion, but he wrote her a long letter, the receipt of which affected her greatly. : The reader will remember it was on the same occasion when she found the Marquis of Leveson’s pearls in her bou- doir that Jocelyn’s letter came to hand. Therein he observed, in grave but what might be termed brotherly remonstrance, that she had evidently practised many deceits and strange duplicities toward her confiding sister, but that still he was not disposed to blame her too severely, as the whole tenor of her conduct proved that she not only continued to love that sister well, but had kept her aloof from her own sphere of brilliant dissipation. Jocelyn went on to say, in his letter, that he should not reveal to Louisa’s ears, at least for the present, the discovery he had made, that it was probable — he should have to leave England for a few weeks, but that on his return he should seek an interview with Lady Sack- ville, in order to arrange the best means of communicating the secret to Louisa. Loftus then proceeded to observe that inasmuch as Lady Sackville had learned from her sister’s letters many of the particulars respecting the fearful GOMIIGoOOO <Si