The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 268: what you’re looking at

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

248 REYNOLDS’ WORKS into those day-dreams in which youthful lovers are wont to indulge, and his thoughts flowed in something like the fol- lowing channel: ““ Who can tell what the future may have in store for me? Heaven has often blessed the loves of those whose prospects at the outset were even darker than mine. Ah! if I could but obtain one more interview with Isabella, if we could once more exchange vows and protestations of eternal fidelity, I should feel happier; my mind would become more settled, and I should have a better heart to search after fresh em- ployment. But as it is, I feel at a loss how to act; I can fix my thoughts upon nothing decisive. Oh, yes, to see her once more, to receive from her sweet lips the assurance that under no circumstances of persuasion or coercion will she ever become another’s, — this indeed were happiness. Then, inspired with fondest and brightest hope, I could battle with the world, and if industry and integrity ever throve by their own unassisted resources, I would assuredly carve out a position for myself. And who can tell but that the day will come when I may secure a competency, and thus feel myself justified in conducting Isabella to the altar? Our wants would be limited: a neat little rural habitation would suffice, and however humble its aspect, yet the light of love would gild the interior as if it were a splendid saloon, and impart a richer bloom to the flowers festooning outside. And we should be so happy, oh, so happy! and Isabella would never regret her uncle’s palatial mansion.” Such reflections as these — which, as the reader may perceive, were borrowed from the fanciful realms of dream- land — wrapped the soul of the enthusiastic Christian in a species of ecstasy, but the pivot, be it observed, on which the whole vision turned, was the idea of first of all obtaining a parting interview with Isabella. He did not therefore im- mediately take any step to procure a new situation; nor did he for the present think of leaving his lodging in the vicinage of the earl’s mansion. He had plenty of ready money, and as his habits were frugal and inexpensive — his only extrava- gance consisting in the nicety and almost elegance of his apparel — he could subsist for some time on the resources which he had in hand. But how to obtain the interview with Isabella? This was the difficulty. For several days after he left the earl’s employment, he vainly busied himself in CORMICOOOK