The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 345: what you’re looking at

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

THE LAMB AMONGST THE WOLVES = 323 said the Marquis of Leveson, “ that I have given you the best possible advice ever since you placed yourself under my paternal guardianship. Now, I beg of you to do nothing precipitately. You know that your aunt is kindly treated by the young lady whom you have left to take care of her; and therefore you would do well to remain here in London until the return of your sister, who, depend upon it, would never forgive you if you did not follow my advice in this respect. My: house shall be your home; and you know that in me you possess a sincere well-wisher, although our ac- quaintance has been so short, and although you had likewise heard statements from the lips of Miss Mary Owen preju- dicial to my true character.” Artless, unsuspicious, and confiding though the young damsel naturally was, yet there was something in this speech which displeased her. She knew not what it was that thus seemed to grate upon some mysterious chord in her heart, nor could she have pointed out which particular sentence or phrase it was that excited a feeling of uneasiness within her. But certain it was that alarming suspicions suddenly took possession of her mind; and the moment the marquis endeavoured to impress upon her the conviction of his sincerity, some secret voice appeared to whisper from the depths of her soul that he was deceiving her. The how or the wherefore did not strike her, nor did she pause to con- jecture; for now that the train of her suspicions was once fired, it blazed up with astonishing speed. Back, back to her remembrance came vividly and forcibly a thousand little things which Mary Owen had let drop relative to the Marquis of Leveson; she bethought herself also of a certain peculiar expression which she had frequently noticed in the regards that he fixed upon her when they were in Paris or travelling together, and to her memory returned the singular discourse in which Lady Ernestina Dysart had indulged just previously to her uncle’s entrance. | ‘My lord,” she said, endeavouring to veil her fears and therefore her suspicions as well as she was able, ‘‘I thank your lordship for all the kindnesses I have experienced at your hand; I thank her ladyship also for the generous sympathy I have received from her during the few hours I have been beneath this roof. But you must not deem me ungrateful for so much hospitality, if I declare at once that I am CEOMMICLOOO (CO) im