The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 138: what you’re looking at

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

THE INVALID 111 and not altogether appeased by the Florimel affair; and throughout the day he continued to toss about uneasily in his bed, a prey to a mental irritability which appeared to aggravate his physical indisposition. Toward evening, however, he grew somewhat more calm, and at length sank off into a profound slumber, —a circumstance which per- mitted Mrs. Brace ample leisure to make the arrangements agreed upon between herself and Rao. When Frederick Dray awoke again, he found a light burning on a table by his bedside. He called for the milliner, but no one answered him. He raised himself in the couch, and fell back on the pillow, under the influence of the most torturing sensations. The nausea in the stomach was now in- tolerable to a degree, his head ached with a positive violence, and a general feeling of uneasiness pervaded his whole system. He experienced a burning thirst; and, reaching out his hand, he filled a tumbler with toast and water which had been placed upon the night table. But so dreadfully did his heart appear to heave against the cooling beverage, that scarcely had he placed it to his lips when an irresistible impulse prompted him to fling away the glass from his hand, as if asudden spasm had shaken his arm with a violent convulsion. _ ‘“‘ What the deuce can be the matter with me?” he mur- mured in a ferocious tone to himself, shuddering all over at the same time, though without knowing why, and indeed without as yet entertaining the slightest suspicion of the awful truth. The thirst which he experienced was now intolerable; but he loathed the idea of making another attempt to stay it with the toast and water. It struck him that some tea would now do him good, and he likewise fancied that he ought to take a little sustenance. For he had eaten nothing the entire day, and he reasoned himself into the belief that the nausea which he felt at the stomach was nothing more than faintness for want of food. | He called out again for the milliner; but no answer was returned. He reached the bell-rope, and it happened that the impatient jerk which he gave the cord detached it from the wire without ringing the bell. ‘“‘ Perdition! ”? he exclaimed, now actually foaming at the mouth withrage. ‘ Am Ito be left here to perish like adog?”’ COnNICLOOOKS (S©)