The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 222: what you’re looking at

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

192 THE COURT OF LONDON der why Grumley and Mobbs did not make their appearance. “You have already admitted, in your examination of this morning, that Miss Foster was, so far as you are aware, totally unknown to William Dudley and that you cannot conceive any possible motive which she could have for the crime at present imputed to her. Now, will you please to inform me whether the deceased was connected, in any shape or way, with any woman who might have a motive in causing his death? Any love affair, any vengeance that might seek its bloody gratification — ”’ ‘“‘ Ah! it is possible,” murmured Arthur Eaton, a ray of light darting in unto his soul with the vividness of the electric fluid flashing through a dark chamber; and, pressing his hand to his brow, he remained standing thus for nearly a minute, absorbed in the deepest, most painful thought. For, all on a sudden, had the suspicion sprung up in his mind that Fernanda, the vindictive, unsparing, merciless Fernanda, might have done the atrocious deed. Hitherto circumstantial evidence had so completely pointed toward Rose Foster, that the young gentleman was compelled, as we have already said, to yield to his convictions, against his inclinations, and believe her guilty. And although the web of testimony surrounding Rose had appeared to spread out and enmesh himself, yet, knowing himself to be innocent, he naturally concluded that the net, despite of all Counsellor Sharply’s artful pullings and astute twistings, would close in again upon her whom he painfully and sorrowfully regarded as the true culprit. But now, that second random question thrown out by the barrister, that query which suggested the possibility of another woman having committed the -foul deed, produced a sudden and most exciting revulsion in the ideas of the Honourable Arthur Eaton; and he was led to reflect, all in a moment, that it was indeed possible, nay, even probable, that Rose was innocent and that some other female was the assassin. But that other female, who could she be? The answer was readily suggested by a crowd of past circumstances to the young gentleman’s imagination; and he saw in a moment that if Rose were not really the murderess, then Fernanda must be. Quick as a flight of birds sweeps through the ambient air did this train of reflections traverse the mind of Arthur Eaton; and therefore was it that he pressed his hand to his COnnicbooolks (CO)