The Mysteries of the Court of London by Pauline Clarendon — page 33: what you’re looking at

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

CHAPTER IV THE ACCOUCHEMENT THE sounds which thus appeared to promise a new ad- venture were occasioned by the sudden breaking of the fore axle of a travelling barouche, which was whirling along the road as speedily as four spanking horses and two expert postilions could carry it. | Mr. Harley instantly rushed forth to offer his assistance to the ladies whose screams had emanated from the vehicle; while Octavia and Pauline followed as far as the garden gate, to render their aid if necessary. | The scene in the road was one of the utmost confusion and terror, for the postilions were occupied in endeavouring to quiet their horses, which were plunging frightfully; a valet in plain clothes had been thrown from the box, and, pitching on his head, lay stunned within a few feet of the broken vehicle; a lady’s-maid, who was seated on the same danger- ous eminence, was clinging to the rails which she had clutched just in time, to save herself from a similar accident; and two ladies inside were shrieking for help. Mr. Harley’s first impulse was to drag the valet away from the dangerous vicinity of the horses’ hoofs; and a rapid glance by the aid of the pure moonlight enabled him to per- ceive that the man was not killed, and was indeed already regaining his senses. Mr. Harley then assisted the lady’s- maid, who was half-dead with terror, to descend from her critical position on the box; and, having thus ensured her safety, he opened the door of the barouche to afford egress to the two ladies. All this had been the work of less than half a minute; but scarcely had Mr. Harley obtained a glimpse of the counte- nance of the lady who was farthest from the side of the 30 ECORNIE OOO KS (Elo) m