The Works of George W. M. Reynolds — page 352: what you’re looking at

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

THE LADY’S - MAID dO indeed! She disposed of them to an old Jewess who regularly paid her a visit by the area steps once every month to pur- chase whatsoever she might have to dispose of, so that with the produce of these little sales and a small portion of her own handsome wages in addition, Mary Anne was enabled to find herself in frequent new dresses of good material. As for the making-up of these dresses, that was done for nothing by the milliner who had all the custom of Lady Saxondale and her daughters, the said milliner finding it entirely to her interest to keep good friends with so important a person as the Honourable Misses Farefield’s principal lady’s-maid. Mary Anne had, as we have already stated, a slightly coquettish air, and this, blended with a certain archness of expression and roguishness of smile, gave her a most piquant and interesting appearance. She looked the lady’s- maid. From the midst of a thousand females assembled together, of every variety of occupation and grade, you might single out Mary Anne as the abigail of aristocratic mistresses. Nor was this all. A close observer could not fail to perceive that she was a confidential maid, deep in the secrets of the young ladies whom she served. Yet be it parenthetically remarked that she was not initiated in that particular secret which involved Juliana’s attachment for the young page. In order to render this portrait as complete as possible, we must observe that Mary Anne possessed a very fine pair of dark hazel eyes, which she could use with no small effect when she chose, but all the glances of which were so tutored and disciplined as to be completely under her own control. Thus, in the presence of Lady Saxondale she appeared sedate and respectful, almost to demureness; with her young. mis- tresses there was a more joyous and genial light dancing in her eyes, indicating that she felt herself the petted and favourite confidante, but still so far subdued as likewise to show that she knew her place too well to take any advantage of the confidence she thus enjoyed. Indeed, there was never any- thing like undue familiarity in her look, her words, or her manner. ‘The brows that set off those fine eyes were darkly pencilled and splendidly arched, and the lashes which served as a screen for her looks when she chose thus to veil them were of a darker shade still and resembled thick silken iringes. Her nose was straight, her mouth small and pouting, ~ COnnicooolKs (FO)