The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 268: what you’re looking at

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

A SCENE IN THE DARK 241 assailant. But, immediately recovering his presence of mind, he endeavoured to disengage himself from her em- brace, in which, however, she held him with all the greater tenacity. He used a little more violence, and then she clung to him with the force of desperation. ‘Miss Linden, take care, I shall do you a mischief,’’ cried Jocelyn. “You would not ill-use a woman,” replied Laura; and she covered his face with frantic kisses, as if hurried away by the torrent of raging passions which she could not control. ‘““By Heaven, this is intolerable!’ cried Jocelyn. ‘‘O shameless young woman! ” ‘Ah! revile, abuse me as you will,” said Laura, with a triumphant tone; “ but I will either perish or compel you to fall vanquished into the arms of my consummated de- sires.” ‘You force me to extremes,” cried Loftus, now seizing both her arms and somewhat violently disengaging them from about his neck. Laura struggled desperately to retain her hold, and Jocelyn could hear her gasping and moaning with rage, like a subdued tigress, when she found herself baffled and de- feated in the conflict. But be it well understood that he exhibited not the slightest unnecessary violence toward her; he merely put forth his strength to a sufficient degree to unlock her arms from his neck. The struggle was neverthe- less a difficult one, inasmuch as it took place in the depth of a pitchy darkness, and it was therefore no fault of our hero’s if Laura, suddenly tripping over a rug, fell heavily upon the floor, where she remained senseless. For a few moments Loftus, though deeply grieved at this incident, fancied that her immovability and silence were only a pretence, but finding that she continued thus still and speechless, he stooped down and laid his hand upon her forehead. It was cold, and there was a clammy perspiration upon it. Beginning to be seriously alarmed, he placed his hand upon her heart, and felt that though it beat, the pulsation was nevertheless slow and feeble. A mortal terror now seized upon him, for he feared that she might be in reality seriously injured and perhaps about to die, and for a few instants he felt so bewildered as scarcely to know what course to pursue. ) p] CONNIE OOO () ‘S (C(O)