The Mysteries of the Court of London by Pauline Clarendon — page 191: what you’re looking at

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

188 THE COURT OF LONDON yielded to the alternative of deceiving my father instead of looking him full in the face and revealing all the incidents of the last few hours. And, oh, I blush, I feel ashamed of the duplicity of which I was guilty when he asked for Octavia and I suffered him to believe that she was here! It was the first time that I ever deceived my father,’’ she added, mournfully, ‘‘ and it shall be the last.” “Remember, Pauline,’ observed Florimel, “ that you have saved your sister from those suspicions which Mr. Clarendon would have inevitably entertained nape gene her absence.” ‘“ But wherefore should he think ill of his own child? ” demanded Pauline, impatiently, though still in a low, whispering tone, for her sire’s bedchamber joined that wherein this colloquy took place. “ Octavia would explain in the morning the cause of that absence — ” “No, my dearest girl,’’ interrupted Florimel, suddenly resolving upon a new and most iniquitous expedient in order to obtain a victory over the maiden’s honour: namely, by exciting her imagination with voluptuous images and con- juring up soft desires in her virgin mind, — “ no, dearest oirl, Octavia will not be able to give a satisfactory account of her long absence from home.” “Great heaven! what do you mean, my lord?” asked Pauline, for an instant yielding to the terror with which these ominous words inspired her; but almost immediately recovering her self-possession, she said, with a tone and manner of mingled indignation and pride, “‘ Your lordship dares not asperse the honour of my sister.”’ “Ts this a time, is this a place, or are these the circum- stances, for us to veil our thoughts, or shut our eyes against palpable truths?’ demanded Florimel. “I declare most solemnly, Pauline, that I would not wilfully wound your feelings; but I must speak to you as if I were your friend — or your brother—or your husband. Listen, then, and endeavour to exercise the strongest control over your emotions.”’ “Go on, go on,’”’ murmured the young maiden, frightened by the impressiveness of his manner and the confidence with which he was evidently touching upon a delicate subject. ‘Your sister is in love!”’ he said, at the same time hold- ing up his taper forefinger to enjoin the maiden to forbear CONNIE OOO KS (E(o)