The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 177: what you’re looking at

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

150 THE COURT OF LONDON soon as this vengeance of mine shall have been gratified, — when the milliner has swung upon the scaffold and my seducer has been despoiled alike of rank and fortune, — then shall I care not how soon I quit this world of woe. Yes, vengeance first, and then suicide! ”’ And as she thus gave way to her reflections, the young woman leaned with her elbow upon the table, her hands supporting her head, and her eyes fixed upon the book. She saw nothing outwardly; all her senses, all her faculties, all her thoughts were absorbed in that reverie the mental vision of which looked only inward. At length, slowly awakening as it were from this morbid dream, she collected her ideas; and remembering that she had a particular character to enact and a special part to play — or in other words, that she must not yield to ab- stractions in which the most trivial incident might betray her sex — she cast a rapid look around the room to ascertain whether she had become the object of any marked attention. But the other persons present were too busily engaged in discussing the arrest of Mrs. Brace to notice anything peculiar that there might have been in the attitude or appearance of . the disguised midshipman, and she was therefore reassured on this head. It was now nearly three o’clock. She accordingly desired some refreshment to be served up to her, and having partaken thereof, she sallied forth from the coffee-house. Her present object was to engage a suitable lodging, where she might dwell in privacy and security while watching the progress of her schemes and the gradual operation of her vengeance. Without being particular as to what direction she took or in which neighbourhood she should choose an apartment, Caroline sped toward Oxford Street, and her steps chanced to lead her into Cavendish Square. She was traversing this fashionable district in order to reach some of the streets which lay beyond, when her atten- tion was all of a sudden caught by the features of a young lady elegantly dressed and leaning on the arm of an elderly gentleman of aristocratic appearance. This couple were about to enter a house in the square at the moment that Caroline Walters was struck by the countenance of the lady; and, hastening forward, she said, ‘‘ Pardon me, madam, but I am delighted to meet you once more.’’ ECORNIELIOOLKKS (E()