The Mysteries of London; or, Revelations of the British Metropolis — page 105: what you’re looking at

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

OF LONDON, 103 my lady up? said she, with much astonishment. A gentleman requests to be permitted to pre- sent his respects to my lady; here is the card. It is not Mr. Percival, said Ophelia looking at the card, upon which was engraved the name of Stephen Macnab. I cannot receive anybody, Jane. Stay, open the curtain—ihere is some= thing written in pencil upon the card. Jane withdrew the curtains, and daylight was adreitted into the room. | From the Honourable Frank Percival, read Ophelia. What can this mean? Jane, let the gentleman be shown into the drawing room, and then come back immediately to dress me. What can all this mean, repeated the countess when her waiting woman bad left the room. Mr Frank Percival, to a certainty ; the poor young man has committed some desperate act. Jane returned, and the countess ordered her only to fasten her dress, and smooth her hair; in- deed she would hardly allow her time to do this. That willdo; never mind, Jane; and she hastily left her bed room. Stephen was waiting in the drawing room. The young doctor was not accustomed to converse every day witha widow of a knight of the garter; > but he had just left the bed on which was lying his best friend, and his emotions left no room for those awkward feelings which generally pervade the mind when addressing persons of superior rank. He addressed the countess with as much freedom as if he had been a regular frequenter of Almack’s. # I trust your ladyship will pardon this visit ; I EComichookscom