The Mysteries of London; or, Lights and Shadows of London Life — page 307: what you’re looking at

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

‘ ' ’ bt Pre | i | \ . e4 We \\ ANS ’ : ‘J \ The , i At, \ vai’ itl MM —>=— f} i favour I owe the empty title which distinguishes my mame, i say empty, for the generous prince, since the misfortunes of his royal house, is himself a fugitive from France, and a dependant on the bounty of the Empress Catherine.” ** No matter,” replied his grandfather; “ it is still something to have served the Bourbon. Many of your ancestors served and shed their blood under the oriflamme, and I am not displeased that you have fol- lowed their example, Prim tells me you are un- married.” “And likely to continue so,” replied the colonel, with a bitter smile; “‘ few would wed with the name- less and the outcast.” “Nameless no longer!” exclaimed the old man, proud!y. “ My heir, the representative of the house of Mowbray, may aspire to an alliance with the noblest in the land. Do you forget,” he added, proudly, “that our blood has twice been mingled with that of Plantagenet and Tudor ?” “ And been polluted by the prison-brand,” thought his hearer to himself: “‘ a stain which not a hundred ancestors can remove, since the virtues of our fore- i : | ret hi ay 4 an ‘ “e : rn F 1) bt yer aillerred MN III | , + \ | 4 ; tH WA) Hi 1 myer he " : ' / ini Wh | i 305 hi H " Mii ; fin i} ii Han ath | , wi % AT | Witty " Mali i fy lolf MU Weill) ! betty , We Wal itt! uw ait AVAL! 1 UTE) Lt Wi} i | : y Ay” a. i i} \ Nh, oT! . i” ly i "; Hill Wis bahiiy yA) < | ’ il] i e ——. a —_— =< =o . | hil 4 Si] Nan ' sh) : | ——— PFO PI ae kd LP Sl /\ 666d egg, SAAISIS 442 fathers can no more atone for our demerits than those demerits can sully the virtues which ennobled them.” “The degenerate boy,” said the baronet, “so long regarded as my heir, was to have married the Lady Adela Howard, a maid of pure Norman blood and ancient possessions, ’Tis well, perchance, the affair has gone no further; you shall replace him.” “1!” exclaimed the astonished Hamilton, “You,” repeated his grandfather. “The alliance was contracted under the idea that he was my suc- cessor in the old baronetcy of Mowbray. She will not, I think,” he added, regarding the young man complacently, “ prove irreconcileable to the change, Her father and I will regulate the affair.” “ But the lady’s heart, sir?” The old man looked at him with an air of surprise. In his vocabulary the heart was assigned but a very unimportant place; he regarded it as a mere forcing pump necessary for the regulating the human ma- chine; at least, his own had never struck him im any other light. It was finally arranged between Sir Walter and the lawyer that afriendly action should be imme~- aN Oe ee eee ee Ce _— ee _ FOURTH. SERBS. COUN BOG —_ —_=» <S) (CO)