The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 59: what you’re looking at

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

42 THE COURT OF LONDON he was nevertheless evidently a mere tool of the prefect. Loftus therefore contented himself with thanking the physician for his attentions, and the medical man then took his leave. But the nurse still remained. She was a Frenchwoman of about sixty, taciturn, and reserved, but keen and shrewd, and with that kind of sharp, angular countenance which denotes extreme artfulness and duplicity. Hitherto she had never addressed a word to Loftus save in fulfilment of her ministering duties as a nurse; but the moment the physician had taken his departure she suddenly assumed a look of deep significancy, as if encouraging Jocelyn to question her. ‘“And are your services likewise to cease?’ he asked, addressing her, of course, in*the French tongue. “ That depends upon you, sir,’”’ she immediately answered, ‘‘and if you are wise you will send a note to the prefect desiring that I may be allowed to remain in attendance upon you a few days more. Should he hesitate, you must pretend to suffer a relapse, so that it may become a matter of apparent necessity for me to stay. His Excellency has the utmost faith in me. I have been attached to the establishment for the last twenty years, and he does not think me capable of abusing his confidence.” Jocelyn had listened in mingled amazement and hope to this speech, which the old nurse delivered in a cautious whisper; but after the conduct of the charwoman in becom- ing the agent of Julia Owen’s manceuvres, and considering also those manceuvres themselves, Loftus was resolved not to be hasty in putting faith in anybody belonging to the prefecture. “ What am I to understand from all that you have just told me? ”’ he inquired, looking her full in the face. “That I am anxious and able to serve you,” she immedi- ately answered, ‘‘ if you choose to be served by me.”’ “But to what end?” asked Jocelyn, “and in what manner? ”’ ‘‘ T suppose an escape is the end aimed at,’’ she returned, “but as to the plan to be adopted, I know nought of it.” “Tell me what you meant by the way in which you addressed me just now,’ said Jocelyn, resolved to hear more ere he committed himself in any manner. “ For during the past week, indeed, since the delirium leit me, you have Gomicbdooks (E(0)