The Works of George W. M. Reynolds — page 398: what you’re looking at

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

- MR. SYCAMORE o8l don Bridge, where the Honourable Talbot Sycamore took a first-class ticket for himself, a second-class one for Christian, and a third-class ticket for James. The train was just ready to start, and they proceeded to occupy their seats according to the classification just described. In the compartment to which Christian Ashton was as- signed, there were only two passengers in addition to himself. One was an elderly man, who settled himself in the corner to take a nap, — most probably for the purpose of sleeping _ off the liquor of which he had evidently been partaking rather freely, and the fumes of which hovered around him, giving to the compartment the savour of a wine-vault. The other passenger was a female very neatly dressed, and with a veil drawn over her countenance. Opposite to this female did Christian happen to place himself, and it occurred to him that she gave a slight start, and even uttered a low ejacula- tion, as he entered the carriage. He could not very easily distinguish her countenance through the veil, but yet he saw enough of it to convince him that it was not altogether unfamiliar. He did not, however, like to regard her too earnestly, especially as she seemed to hang down her head as 1f in annoyance or confusion that he had even looked at her as attentively as he had done. The train rolled out of the station; the intoxicated gen- tleman in the corner soon began to convince his fellow pas- sengers, by certain nasal sounds, that he was wrapped in the arms of Morpheus, and then the female, slowly leaning for- ward, said, “‘ How do you do, Mr. Ashton? ”’ At the same time she raised her veil, and our hero at once recognized Amy Sutton, who, as the reader will recollect, was one of the Duchess of Marchmont’s lady’s-maids. We may also, perhaps, remind the reader that it was she of whom the unprincipled duke to a certain extent made use when engaged in his vile plot against his wife. She was now in her twenty-fifth year; we have already described her as tall and handsome, but with a look displaying a resolute decisiveness of character, and which could at times merge into a savage fierceness.. She was selfish, worldly-minded, and avaricious. At the time when Christian knew her, her character was unimpeachable, for her pride rather than her principle had prevented her from stooping to any under- hand or immoral means to augment the sum of her hoarded ECONNICLOO© S (CO) im