The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 217: what you’re looking at

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

THE WORKING MAN’S WIFE 187 murmured Mrs. Melmoth, in a low tone, but with a concen- trated bitterness such as she had never experienced nor dis- played before; and, giving the babe to the eldest boy, she took up the little girl, pressed the poor child to her bosom, and covered her wan, thin face with kisses. Oh, that was indeed a scene of misery, misery, misery! And here must we leave, for the present, the unfortunate woman with her starving children; yes, leave them there, in the open street, houseless, penniless, foodless, as so many, many thousands of the British working men’s families are at all times houseless, penniless, foodless. (C(O) MG 6)(0)©) So