The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 190: what you’re looking at

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

CHAPTER XIX THE EXAMINATION Ir was midday, and the police office at Bow Street was crowded to excess. The intelligence that a young and beauti- ful girl was about to be examined on a charge of committing the foul crime of murder had spread like wild-fire; and al- though the morning papers contained not a line upon the subject, —for news was not published so speedily in those times as it is at present, — yet the entire metropolis had already experienced the sensation of mingled interest and horror invariably attendant upon the circulation of such a rumour. ‘The result was that numbers of persons had been impelled by curiosity to the police court, which was speedily filled; and an immense multitude, unable to obtain admit- tance, blocked up the street. Presently a hackney-coach broke through the congregated mass and drove up to the door of the office. Then, when Rose Foster alighted in the custody of Grumley and Mobbs, instead of being saluted with the yells of execration usually poured forth on such occasions, the young girl’s ears caught expressions of sympathy from every side. Nor few were the tongues which expressed a conviction that so sweet a creature could not possibly have committed the odious crime laid to her charge; and these observations enhanced that courage which now armed the poor orphan girl, the courage inspired by conscious innocence. | With modest dignity and with a winning maidenly reserve, as unaffected as every attribute of her virgin soul was guile- less and artless, did Rose Foster pass from the hackney-coach along the passage leading to the office, on entering which she instantly became the focus for the looks of all present. A momentary faintness came over her, an evanescent dizzi- 164 COMIC OOO CO ee ee eh he