The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 185: what you’re looking at

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

EVIL TIDINGS 159 ‘You had better see what she wants and then come back to me,’’ said the prince. Mrs. Brace accordingly retired; and the heir apparent began to pace to and fro in an agitated manner, for the terrible intelligence he had this morning received troubled him sorely and quite threw into the background of his mem- ory the incidents of the past night. In a few minutes the milliner returned, or rather, stag- gered back into the royal apartment, her eyes wild and haggard, her countenance deadly pale, and her entire form trembling convulsively. | “What, in the name of God, is the matter? ’’ demanded the prince, rushing forward and catching her in his arms. “Great Heaven! what misfortunes, what calamities! ”’ murmured the wretched Mrs. Brace, in broken sentences, as she sank back in the chair to which the prince bore her. “Speak, I conjure you to speak, my dear Fanny,” ex- claimed his Royal Highness. ‘‘ What is the matter? What new misadventure has occurred? ”’ ‘“ Another murder, another horrible murder, and one of my girls in custody upon the charge! ”’ returned Mrs. Brace, gasping forth the words with difficulty. ‘ Oh, ruin is coming upon me! I see it, plain and palpable — ” “Cease, cease these lamentations,” cried the prince, speaking with feverish impatience as he recovered from the shock which the milliner’s terrible revelation had caused him to experience. “ Surely your brain must be wandering, your ideas are unsettled, you are labouring under a delu- sion.”’ “ Would to God that I were!” exclaimed Mrs. Brace, pressing her hands to her throbbing brows and shuddering visibly. ‘‘ Rose Foster at Clerkenwell Gaol, Caroline Walters in Horsemonger Lane Prison, each accused of a diabolical murder, each able to make revelations that will bring down ruin, utter ruin, upon my head — O God! it is more than I can bear! ”’ And the wretched woman burst into an agonized fit of weeping. This efflux of tears consoled her somewhat, or, at all events, relieved her, and in a few minutes she wiped her eyes, saying, ‘‘ Misfortunes never come alone, and these are black and threatening indeed.” @) S (C(O)