The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 285: what you’re looking at

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

THE YOUNG NOBLEMAN 263 danger of exposure was removed, Ernestina resented what she termed ‘‘ the supervision he ever continued to exercise over her conduct.”’ Algernon was deeply afflicted to observe that Ernestina adopted such a course instead of displaying contrition, and he conjured her to reflect ere she prosecuted a career which would inevitably plunge her into disgrace sooner or later. But the more affectionate and conciliatory became her brother’s manner, the more haughty and impa- tient was the spirit which she displayed, and they parted thus, with anger on her side and deep despondency on his own. Then was it that the high-minded Algernon felt actually ashamed of the family to which he belonged, and blushed for the name he bore, a name which stamped him as a scion of this family which seemed resolved to disgrace itself. The train of thought into which he fell revived all the antipathies he had for some time experienced in respect to the aristocratic order to which he belonged, and he said to himself, ‘‘ If ever I marry, it shall not be a daughter of the aristocracy. No, I will endeavour to find some maiden of innocence, virtue, and probity in a lowlier sphere, a maiden who, while possessing the attractions of her sex, shall be unacquainted with any of its vices.’”’ Thereupon he formed the resolution of abandoning, he cared not even if it were for ever, his lordly rank, and took his late father’s Christian name and surname, Jocelyn Loftus. Leaving Lon- don, he visited his country-seat in the north of England, where he passed some time. The abdication of Fontainebleau and the retreat of the Emperor Napoleon to Elba giving peace to Europe, the young nobleman visited the Continent, where he stayed some months. On returning to England, he made the tour of Kent, and at length arrived in Canterbury. The old cathedral city, with its quietude and its many an- tiquarian remains, together with its beautiful circumjacent scenery, was pleasing to Lord Algernon Cavendish, and he was induced to remain there for a few weeks. One evening, after a long ramble in the country, he was returning to his hotel, when on passing through the cloistral avenue in the vicinage of the cathedral he suddenly heard voices in altercation, and before he reached the spot a suffi- ciency of what was said reached his ears to afford him a very painful insight into the nature of the dispute. A female (C(O) nn) GDoOo So! nin