The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 132: what you’re looking at

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

110 THE COURT OF LONDON in a moment of inadvertency, or under the influence of a death-bed repentance, compromise me cruelly.” ‘‘ Yes, | perceive that you are fully and completely in their power, my poor Fernanda,” said Lord Holderness. “ But what do you propose to do? Where isthe remedy? Tell me, my beloved wife,’ he continued, still toying with her, still receiving her caresses in return, ‘‘ tell me what you would suggest and how I can help you.” “ It is serious, is it not? ”’ observed Fernanda, inquiringly. ‘““ Yes, far too serious not to require immediate attention,”’ answered the infatuated nobie. ‘‘ But what do you propose in respect to that valet and the midwife? ” “To place a seal upon their lips for ever, ladyship, solemnly. “ Ah!” ejaculated her husband, with a convulsive start. “ And that seal — ”’ “The silence of death,’ added Fernanda, in a deep tone, as if her heart were a cavern and the voice came from the profundity thereof. ‘Two murders!’ said Lord Holderness, straining her convulsively to his breast. ‘‘ Oh, Fernanda, Fernanda, I shall be blessed by thy love on earth, but through thee shall I be accursed hereafter.”’ ‘The present suffices for our thought, because we know that it exists,” exclaimed the terrible young woman whom he had thus feelingly apostrophized; ‘‘ but all that regards the future is vague, dim, uncertain, doubtful. We feel that we exist now, but we are not sure that we shall exist hereafter.”’ ‘© Fernanda! let us not add the crime of infidelity to the catalogue of guilt already perpetrated or about to be committed,” cried the nobleman, now shuddering more violently than at first. ‘‘ Ask me to peril my soul, and I will do it; but ask me not to deny that I have a soul thus to endanger.” | “‘T will not again shock your prejudices, my dear hus- band,” said Lady Holderness, with a slight accent of irony in her tone, soft and melting though her voice continued to be. ‘‘ But you perceive, Walter, you perceive, I repeat, that to ensure my safety William Dudley and Mrs. Lindley must die.”’ ‘“‘ Yes, they must die,’’ echoed the nobleman, pressing his ’? rejoined her CoOmiclooolkxSs.