The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 252: what you’re looking at

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

230 THE COURT OF LONDON standing up with their forepaws against the sofa, all whining -piteously. I assumed on entering my most solemn looks, and advancing up to the sofa, asked, in that low, lugubrious tone which we, friend Thurston, know so well how to assume at times, what was the matter? The two lady’s-maids burst into tears, the countess groaned audibly, and one of the poodles, leaping up on her, knocked the basin of vinegar and water out of the maid’s hand. This little incident ageravated her ladyship’s misery, but she begged and be- sought that the poor dear darling duck of a pet — meaning the vile, ugly French poodle — might not be hurt. ‘ Poor dear,’ she murmured, in a voice as if she were about to give up the ghost, ‘it would break its little heart to be scolded.’ Well, the liquid being wiped off her ladyship’s splendid satin dress, she said, in a dying tone, ‘ Oh, dear Doctor Copperas, I am so glad you have come. I was mending a pen, when the knife cut a great gash in my thumb, and I am afraid that the blade was the least, least thing rusty. Tell me, dear doctor, whether you think there is any danger.’ I shook my head gloomily, observing that it would not be proper for me, either as her ladyship’s friend or professional adviser, to declare that there was no danger, but I would do my best to avert it. She said ‘ that, thank God, she was resigned to the worst,’ and I accordingly proceeded to examine the wound, one of the maids having with exquisite care and tenderness removed the cambric bandage. ‘“ Really I had some trouble in preserving my gravity, but seeing a consultation in the perspective, I shook my head again, said something about the danger attendant on a cut from a rusty knife, and dropped a hint about the possibility of lockjaw. The countess groaned, her maids once more burst into tears, and the poodles whined; but I bade her ladyship and the servant-girls muster up all their fortitude, while I endeavoured to tranquillize the poodles by patting them, narrowly escaping, however, a bite from one which snapped at me. Her ladyship then asked me if I did not think she had better go to bed. I felt her pulse, looked at her tongue, and told her gravely that there was certainly fever, and she had better do so, although she was really in such a good state of health that she could as easily have devoured the whole of this cold fowl as I have now eaten the two wings. Well, she went to bed, and I took my departure, having left a pre- cComiclooolks.' in