The Mysteries of the Court of London by Pauline Clarendon — page 103: what you’re looking at

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

100. THE COURT OF LONDON more so, for she had an object in view. My God — when I think of all that duplicity-into whose depths my mental perception can now plunge, as if it were a crystal stream transparent to its pebbly bed! While we were seated at breakfast she turned the conversation upon Lady Went- worth’s beautiful pair of gray ponies, which her husband, Sir William, had purchased for her last week; and by degrees did my siren-wife lead me on till I promised that she should be enabled to vie with, if not eclipse, her friend in the graceful attractions of her equipage. Then Eleanor told me how Mr. Ramsey had casually mentioned to her that a similar pair of ponies were to be procured at a certain dealer’s in Aylesbury; and after breakfast I set out for town with the view of procuring them at any price. For never had Eleanor seemed more seductively beautiful, never more charmingly captivating than on this occasion. O woman — daughter of Eve! — why art thou ever loveliest when thine heart is most filled with guile? ” And Page knew by the sounds which he heard that the baronet was wringing his hands bitterly — bitterly, as he uttered those last words in a tone of penetrating anguish. ‘““Unsuspicious, frank, and confiding, I went forth to purchase for my wife the objects of her fantasy,’ continued the baronet, growing more excited as his narrative ap- proached its catastrophe; “and in this disposition I rode into Aylesbury, followed as usual by my groom. Having put up my horse at the livery-stables, and dispensing with the attendance of the servant for a couple of hours, I called at the bank to procure a new cheque-book, and there I learned that Mr. Martin had departed on the preceding ~ evening for London on pressing business. It struck me at the moment that Ramsey seemed pale and even confused as he gave me this information; but I attributed his appear- ance and manner to the bustle of business, and took my leave. JI thence proceeded to the horse-dealer’s, and, after some little bargaining, purchased the ponies, for’ the price of which I at once wrote a cheque upon the bank. Having thus fulfilled the principal object of my visit to Aylesbury on that occasion, I was returning to the livery-stables where I had left my horse, when I recollected that my gold watch- chain was broken; and as it had been in my possession some years, and was completely out of fashion, I resolved ECORNIE OOO KS (EO) m