The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 164: what you’re looking at

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

CHAPTER XIV LORD FLORIMEL WE must now return to the establishment of Mrs. Brace in Pall Mall; for while the scene already related was taking place in one room between Mr. Harley and Octavia Claren- don, an incident of some importance was occurring in another. It was nine o’clock on that memorable evening; the young ladies in the employment of Mrs. Brace were busily occupied in consigning the caps, bonnets, and dresses to band- boxes and drawers, preparatory to the closing of the shop for the night, and the worthy mistress of the establishment was superintending these proceedings, when a servant entered from the interior of the dwelling-house and gave her some whispered information. ‘Ah! Lord Florimel! ”’ ejaculated Mrs. Brace, in an under- tone; and she forthwith hastened to her own private sitting- room at the back of the premises. It was a small but elegantly furnished apartment, all its arrangements being quite consistent with that good taste which we have already noticed as pervading the toilet of the lady herself. Vases filled with artificial flowers, a few good pictures in handsome but not gaudy frames, a French timepiece in ormolu, several little ivory statues, six or eight inches high, and exquisitely carved, and a bookcase contain- ing the standard works, — these constituted the principal ornaments of the room. A cheerful fire blazed in the grate, and the wax candles shed their lustre upon the rich crimson draperies attached to the windows. Lounging negligently in an armchair, tapping his boot with the end of his slim gold-headed cane, and with his eyes fixed listlessly upon the timepiece, was a young nobleman whom we must particularly introduce to our readers. 133 (C(O) AAI LOO) (C(O)