The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 188: what you’re looking at

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

ucaven’s mercy, to wrestle successfully with death. Butevery night, William Dudley, has your hand im- pregnated with poison the beverage placed by my side; and every morning have you found the de- canter empty. Think not, however, that I imbibed the contents: no—it is the antidote which I have taken instead! And now you marvel wherefore I have remained thus silent—thus patient—thus tran- quil during these sixteen days: you wonder why I have_foreborne from invoking the aid of the law to punish those who sought to send me to an early grave? Iwill explain to you my motives for this for- bearance. Associated as you are, William Dudley, wiek, this young lady in the black designs which heaven's intervention has made abortive, you are of course no stranger to the cause—the unhappy cause—of her burning animosity against me. Alas! I know that I have wronged her—deeply wronged he , and I will not advance a singl¢ reason to pal- liate my perfidy and my crime. } will admit that : 2 ‘ a) — Ihave been both perfidious and criminal ;—and it is therefore for her sake that I have hitherto che- rished in my own bosom the tremendous secrets which constitute the history of my lingering malady and providential cure. Had I given you, William Dudley, up to justice—had I taken a constaple to the house of your relative in Fore Street, for the purpose of consigning her to a criminal gacl—I could not in justice have spared Miss Aylmer. And eyen if I had spared her, there were a thou- sand that the arrest of her sccomplices would have led to the elucidation of her guilt. For her sake, therefore, I have held my peace—for her sake I shall still remain silent. Not even my be- loved father suspects aught of all thiss—no—nor even your uncle and the Countess,” he added, turn. ing towards Fernanda. The young lady showed by & slight inclination of tho head that she heard and understood him: but not @ syllable fell from her lips, r) _——— comicloooks. conn