The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 398: what you’re looking at

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

362 THE COURT OF LONDON individual, who secured them about his person, chuckling at the handsome amount of the bribe given for so easy a service as that which was required from him. In about ten minutes the coach stopped; and down jumped Germain to open the door. “What hotel is this?” inquired the Flower Girl, looking up and observing what appeared to be only a row of hand- some private houses. “The St. James’s Family Hotel, ma’am,’’ said Germain, officiously letting down the steps and handing the Flower Girl out of the vehicle. Meantime the coachman had rung and knocked at the house door, which was almost instantaneously opened; and the appearance of a female servant with a candle in her hand reassured the Flower Girl, if indeed she had even for a mo- ment entertained a suspicion that anything was wrong. The night was piercing cold, eleven o’clock had struck, and therefore it was no wonder if Germain hurried the Flower Girl into the house; while the promptitude of his proceedings and the despatch which characterized the attentions he thus appeared to be showing to the lady, left her not an instant to ask herself who the courteous and obliging individual could possibly be. But as the light, which the female servant held in her hand, flashed upon his countenance, it instantly struck the Flower Girl that his features were not altogether unfamiliar to her. Still she had no time to pause and reflect where or when she had seen that genteel-looking man in black before; for the female servant began to lead the way up a handsome and well- lighted staircase. The Flower Girl followed mechanically, and she had just begun to reflect that it was -somewhat extraordinary that such prompt and even officious attentions should be shown her, a stranger though she were at the house and not having even opened her lips to express what she required, coming, too, alone at that hour of the night and in a masquerade dress; upon all these points had she begun to reflect, we say, and a distant suspicion had even raised its nascent glimmering in her mind, when the servant threw open the door of an apartment, saying, ‘‘ Walk in, if you please, madam.” The Flower Girl paused for an tnehan’: then, feeling how EO MG 6)(0)(0) (CO)