The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 194: what you’re looking at

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

THE MYSTERIES. hesven’s mercy, to wrestle successfully with death. | I have been both perfidious and criminal ;—and it Batevery night, William Dudley, has your hand im- Pregnated with poison the beverage placed by my side; and every morming have you found the de- canter empty. Think not, however, that I imbibed the contents: no—it is the antidote which 1 have taken instead! And now you marvel wherefore I have remained thus silent—thus patient—thus tran- qm 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- Associated as you are, William Dudley, with 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 her; and I will not advance a single reason to pal- liate my perfidy and my crime. I will admit that 23 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 constable to the house of your relative in Fore Street, for the purpose of consigning her to a criminal gaol—I could not in justice have spared Miss Aylmer. And even if I had spared her, there were a thou- sand chances that the arrest of her accomplices 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 this ;—no—nor even your uncle and the Countess,” he added, turn- ing towards Fernanda. The young lady showed by a slight inclination of the head that she heard and understood him: but not a syllable fell from her lips. -_-_ > ee Oe pees wn) enw we tt ~~ -@ = —= <teme @ e eee ew t COMGROO S COMM