The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 32: what you’re looking at

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

14 THE COURT OF LONDON that young man to show an act of friendship toward the woman who, though unintentionally, had been the cause of his sire’s premature death. It was nevertheless with faltering steps that Ernestina advanced toward the spot where she knew the grave to be. She was well-nigh exhausted in mind and body, having been up all night, and having passed through so many phases of excitement. Indeed, she was only now sustained by that species of unnatural energy which arms a person when resolved to carry out a particular proceeding to the end. Having lived for some time at the villa, she was of course familiar with every spot, and she could not fail to recollect to a nicety where the grave had been hollowed into which. she had seen her dead paramour consigned. It is true that all traces of the interment had been completely effaced, but Ernestina was enabled to point to the place where the men were now to dig. They accordingly went to work, one of the medical men remaining as a witness of the proceeding, while Sir Valentine repaired with Ernestina, the other medical gentleman, and Lawrence Sampson into the villa. Audible was the fluttering of the lady’s heart as she crossed. the threshold of the house where the tragedy had taken place. Be it remembered that the establishment was let to the Dysarts ready furnished, but we must here observe that -in consequence of remaining untenanted for some months, the owner had sold off all the furniture, and it was now empty. The bath was, however, a fixture in the room specially appropriated for the purpose, and there was it found by the party now penetrating to that chamber. No tears fell from Ernestina’s eyes as she gazed upon it. Her eyeballs were throbbing and burning as when she left — Malvern’s abode in Hanover Square. A convulsive gasp, however, rose up into her throat, and she was compelled to lean against the wall to sustain herself. As for Sir Valentine, he was of course much affected on finding himself in the room where his father had breathed his last, and on behold- ing that bath in which the catastrophe took place. Having remained in the chamber for a few minutes, the party descended to the garden again, and Ernestina, retiring to a short distance from the grave, seated herself in an ar- bour, there to wait the result of the proceedings that were taking place. The other members of the party, who had CORTICLOOO (CO)