The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 138: what you’re looking at

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

116 THE COURT OF LONDON nourishing schemes of diabolical vengeance against the master, she worked herself up to a pitch of rancorous excite- ment against the man. Having placed upon record the preceding observations, we now resume the thread of our narrative, only requesting the reader to bear in mind the discourse which took place between Lord and Lady Holderness, as related in the pre- ceding chapter. It was about two o’clock in the afternoon of the day follow- ing the scene just alluded to that the newly created peer and his lovely bride alighted from their carriage at the door of Lord Marchmont’s mansion in Hanover Square. We have already intimated that the noble owner of that sumptu- ous abode was temporarily absent on a visit to his country- seat; and of this fact Lord and Lady Holderness were not only aware, but they had availed themselves of the oppor- tunity to carry out the nefarious and deeply ramified scheme which they now had in hand. The Honourable Arthur Eaton was in the library when a footman entered to inform him that Lord and Lady Holder- ness were in the drawing-room. A glow of indescribable pleasure sprang up on the countenance of the young gentle- man; for, judging others by his own generous disposition, it instantly struck him that Fernanda, having now married and settled in life, had repented of her former bitter hostility toward him and was desirous of making her peace. To the drawing-room did he accordingly hasten, and the hope which he had so promptly entertained appeared to receive instantaneous and full confirmation from the air of frank cordiality and graceful affability with which Fernanda proffered him her hand. At the same time she darted upon him a look which seemed to say, “ All is forgotten; let all be forgiven.” Eaton did not, of course, entertain the slightest idea that Lord Holderness was aware of the peculiar nature of the intimacy which had once subsisted between Fernanda and himself. He could not possibly suppose that the young lady had revealed to her husband the loss of her chastity pre- viously to her marriage with him; nor did he behold in this union of his relative and his late mistress anything mena- cing toward himself, much less a league so formidable as that tremendous alliance of interests the most selfish and ven- CORNICLOOO re) S (CO)