The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 141: what you’re looking at

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

THE INVALID 115 | touched the handle of the door, he heard the key turning in the lock, and he found that he was a prisoner. What could this mean? What aim had Caroline Walters now in view? What further treachery was she meditating? These questions, rapid as thought alone can be, suggested themselves in a moment; but the answers were beyond all power of conjecture. Florimel stamped his foot with rage; and, turning away from the door, he beheld Mrs. Brace gasping with the pain of returning consciousness as she lay stretched upon the sofa, while Frederick Dray, still holding the candle in his hand, was contemplating her with an expres- sion of such intense hatred and savage ferocity that the young nobleman gave utterance to an ejaculation of mingled affright and horror. Frederick started at the cry, — started as if he had for- gotten the presence of a third person altogether and was only that instant reminded of the fact. Then, as his features became all in a moment convulsed with terrible and ghastly workings, he dropped the light, the room suddenly became involved in total darkness, and a hideous growling like that of a dog fell horribly upon the ears of the young nobleman and Mrs. Brace. In the meantime Caroline Walters, having locked the door of the saloon in the manner already described, hastened with lightning speed to the chamber where she had made the Unknown a captive. Opening the door, she burst in, ex- claiming, <a Fly, my lady, fly, if you wish to escape detec- tion! ”’ “What has occurred? And what peril threatens me? ” demanded the mysterious siren charmer who had resumed the apparel which she wore when arriving in the hackney- coach. ‘“ Oh, you have not been base enough to betray me? ” ““No—no!” ejaculated Caroline, impatiently. ‘‘ But my plot has failed, — failed at the very instant of success. Another moment and I should have been his wife. At a future time, however, I will explain all this, but for the present let me conjure you to fly if you wish to escape discovery and exposure.”’ “Thanks, young woman, for your advice,” said the Unknown; and without tarrying an instant to exchange another word, or even to take the bandbox in which she had COU Doo SS mn