Angelina: Or, The Mystery of St. Mark's Abbey — page 240: what you’re looking at

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

THE MYSTERY Of ST, MARK’S ABBEY: ast opposing the wishes of a brother, whom I had always revered as a superior being, how many misfortunes, bow many cares might I have saved myself. Bat it is past now, and let me not waste my time in useless regret, but rather come as soon as possible to the conclusion of a narrative, the incidents of which ¥§cannot recal to my memory without the deepest ariguish. That I loved Sir Vincent, I have already admitted ; but no sooner did I yield my hand to Lord Palton, than I made up my mind to endeavour to discard him;from my thoughts, and I can solemnly avow that, after I became the bride of his lordship, I never harboured a thought that I need since be ashamed of acknowledging. I muet confess that I had a hard struggle with my feelings before 1 could accomplish my wishes; but the aniform affection of my husband, the high regard in which I had always held his virtues, and the duties that I felt were incumbent upon me as a wife, at length triumphed, and I became happy. Alas! it was not to last Jong ; Sir Vincent (whom his friend never suspected for a moment of any guilty design, or the sentiments that really inhabited his mind towards me) was, as you are aware) a frequent, nay, almost a constant visitor at our house, and al- though 3 must do myself the justice to state, I endeavoured as mach as possible to avoid his presence, common etiquette would not admit of my always absent- ing myself, nefther could I do so without making my besband acquainted with the secret, which I wished, for his own sake and mine too, he might be kept in fenorance of. " ** ‘You may imagine what I suffered at these times, Eustace, bat it was nothing to what it was my fate afterwards to undergo. Although I most sedu- loasly avoided all that was in my power being alone with Sir Eustace, he seized every opportunity he possibly could to be so, and to urge his passion. I heard him with feelings of disgust; severely reproached him for the injustice he did my character, and how mach he wronged my husband, of whom he pretended to be so sincere a friend 5 and when he still persevered in importuning me, sad endeavouring to win me to the indulgence of his sensual desires, I threatened to make known his conduct to Lerd Dalton ;—he threw off the mask in which be had so long concealed himself, and stood confessed in his true chayacter. He laughed at my threats, mocked what he called my false modesty, and vowed that, obdurate as I was, no power on earth should force him to give up the design he had fixed upon, and that, in spite of all my opposition and my threats, he would not rest until he had accomplished his wishes, and had me ia his power. If paid but little attention to his threats, for I thought them at the time merely to originate in disappointment and offended pride; bnt it was met long ere I found out how exregiously. mistaken I had been, and then i severely upbraided myself for not having made my busbaad acquainted with the whole of the circumstances; but yet it was done from the best of motives 5 { was fearfal to distract his mind and render him perpetually unhappy; while, if he was kept in ignorance of the (ruth, he would he contented with the love I bestowed upon him, which was really sincere, and not have cause to torment his mind, where there was actually no occasion, by supposing me weak enough to yield to the persuasions of Sir Vincent Rosenford, and doing anything de- rogatory to the: vows I had plighted to him at the altar. ‘© It was my custem frequently to walk forth in aa eveniog in a neighbouring wood, whea my husband was from home, and taking with me a book, I would sit down beneath some cool aumbrageous shade, and peruse the contents, in une GOMMGIOO 1(GO)