The Mysteries of the Court of London by Pauline Clarendon — page 397: what you’re looking at

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

394 THE COURT OF LONDON take refuge in a neighbouring dwelling. The princess adopted the name of Mrs. Mordaunt, the Countess of Des- borough assumes that of Mrs. Smith.” “Ts it possible that those young ladies could have dis- covered whom we were? ”’ exclaimed Eleanor, her thoughts and her suspicions instantly settling upon Octavia and Pauline Clarendon. “ Can they have been base enough to make the circumstance a subject for vulgar scandal and detestable gossip? If this be the case, never more shall I believe that the countenance is an index of the mind; for candour, sincerity, and artlessness were stamped upon the features of those girls.” . ‘Blame them not; do them not so much injustice,’”’ said the Prince of Wales. ‘“ Being altogether unacquainted with them, except by name, it is not from their lips that the whispers have reached me; .and I can likewise assert, upon the same good authority whence I did receive the astounding and distressing intelligence, that those young ladies have religiously kept the secret of which accident rendered them the depositresses.”’ “The surgeon, Mr. Thurston, could he have betrayed the unhappy princess? ’’ murmured the countess, in a musing tone. “No, Mr. Thurston merits not your blame,’’ observed his Royal Highness. ‘ Indeed, I am tolerably well assured that neither he nor the young ladies have ever entertained the slightest suspicion who Mrs. Mordaunt and Mrs. Smith really were. I shall not tell your ladyship how I became acquainted with the circumstance which we are discussing. Suffice it to say, that my informant is as trustworthy as your- self — ”’ ‘“ Something strikes me!” ejaculated the countess, sud- denly. ‘‘ When the travelling-barouche broke down, a man — perhaps a gentleman — assisted the princess’s lady’s- maid to alight, and then opened the door to aid us to de- scend. But he disappeared abruptly, and in the confusion of that moment, as well as in the excitement of the subse- quent occurrences, all recollection of his evanescent presence was completely absorbed. It was that individual, then, who was your Royal Highness’s informant,” added Eleanor, with a marked emphasis. ‘“T will not deny the fact, since you have thus cleverly ECORNIE OOO KS (Elo) m