The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 56: what you’re looking at

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

THE ACCOUCHEMENT 35 that we can do to serve yourself or your friend shall be done cheerfully.” ‘““ My request is that you will show our female attendant, Matilda, the way to the surgeon’s house,” answered the lady. ‘“‘ Mr. Thurston himself — for such I understand to be his name — is unable to quit his patient up-stairs; and he has written a short note which must be immediately forwarded to his wife, in order to procure certain little articles absolutely necessary under present circumstances. But as Matilda is quite ignorant of the neighbourhood, and as we certainly cannot think of suffering you to go out any more alone at so very late an hour — ”’ “T am ready, madam,” exclaimed the good-natured Octavia, hastily resuming her bonnet and thick shawl, which she had laid aside in the parlour on her return from the previous visit to the surgeon’s. The lady’s-maid was thereupon summoned; and Octavia, once again daring the piercing chill of the night, conducted the dependent to Mr. Thurston’s residence. Mrs. Thurston was in bed; but a servant speedily answered the door, and admitting Miss Clarendon and Matilda into a parlour, took the note up-stairs to her mistress. We should here observe that the surgeon and his wife were in the habit of receiving at their house ladies who were in a way to become mothers, and who had special reasons for retiring into a strict seclusion during the period of their confinement. A good supply of baby-linen was therefore constantly kept ready by the thrifty and money-making Mrs. Thurston; and it was for articles of this kind that Ma- tilda had been sent with the note. The surgeon’s wife, presuming from the nature of her husband’s note that he had in hand a case that was likely to prove lucrative, mani- fested no displeasure at being summoned from her warm couch, but rose immediately and packed up a quantity of baby-linen in the course of a very few minutes. ‘The servant delivered the parcel to Matilda, who, thus provided, re- turned with Octavia to the villa. The lady’s-maid was a shrewd, cautious, and reserved young woman, of about five and twenty. She was tolerably good-looking, well educated, and of superior manners for her position; in fact, she was the daughter of a poor curate in some remote district, and who, having a large family to (C(O) anil Doo <=) (C(O)