The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 54: what you’re looking at

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

THE TOKENS Oo” produced upon the mind of his well-beloved, and while levelling the bitterest reproaches against Julia Owen, he fell down insensible. All these particulars have we thus rapidly recapitulated in order to refresh the memory of the reader. We may now add that when Jocelyn returned to consciousness, he found a physician and a nurse seated by his bedside; and on inquiry he learned that for ten days he had been ill with a delirious fever. | Ten days, and how much might have happened in that time! His Louisa had doubtless renounced him for ever, and thus were his fondest, dearest, brightest hopes destroyed beyond redemption. No, not beyond redemption; for he could explain to Louisa all that had occurred, he could show her how he had been made a victim instead of wilfully becoming a criminal. Yes; but by what means was he to communicate with her? For he was still a prisoner, still subjected to all the rigours of that seclusion to which he had been consigned from the first moment of his arrest. He appealed to the physician for leave to send to the post a letter which he wished to write; but the medical man, too independent if not too honest to deceive him with false representations, at once declared that he had no authority in the matter. Jocelyn then sent to demand an interview with the prefect, and this functionary at once acceded to the young gentleman’s request and repaired to his chamber. The physician and nurse withdrew, and when Jocelyn was alone with the prefect, he demanded an explanation of what had occurred, —how Julia Owen had been his neighbour, and how Miss Louisa Stanley had been brought to the pre- fecture. To these queries the prefect, however, declined giving an answer; and Jocelyn therefore remained in torturing suspense as to the circumstances which had arisen or the influences that had been exercised in order to place Louisa in a position to form the most erroneous and the most fatal opinion of his fidelity and honour. Finding that the prefect would not give him any explanations on those heads, Jocelyn asked whether he might be permitted to communi- cate with his friends. The reply was exactly that which he had anticipated, namely, a negative, decisive enough though couched in the most courteous terms. He next demanded how long he was to be retained a prisoner, and CoOnniclooolkks (C(O)