The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 344: what you’re looking at

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

322 REYNOLDS’ WORKS that interview was over. The response which the servant brought back was a verbal one, to the effect that the Eastern lady would grant the duke a five minutes’ interview, for the purpose of receiving the renewed expression of his contrition, in the drawing-room, and in about half an hour. And during that half-hour the wretched Marchmont paced to and fro in the drawing-room, the most restless anxiety gleaming in his eyes, and displaying itself in the quivering of his ashy lips. At length the door opened, and the princess made her appearance. She was apparelled in a plain but neat travelling-costume, the dress reaching up to her throat, but fitting tightly to the form, and thus displaying the superb contours of that grandly symmetrical shape. There was a certain coldness in her looks, which covered any other deeper feeling; and as she advanced into the room she said, in a voice that was as glacially emotionless as her aspect, “‘ You wish to speak to me, my lord? ” ‘“‘ For Heaven’s sake, lady,’”’ exclaimed the miserable duke, ‘tell me what I am to expect at your hands? I know the outrage was abominable — ”’ “But the Duke of Marchmont is capable of anything,” interrupted the princess, “‘ where his evil passions are con- cerned.”’ ‘“‘ But that scene last night,’ ejaculated the duke, “ ap- peared to have — Perdition!’’ he vehemently cried. ‘I know not what to say. I mean that it had a significancy.”’ ‘“‘ Assuredly so,” answered Indora. ‘ It had the signifi- cancy belonging to the fixed determination of a virtuous woman to defend her honour, even though she stretched its assailant dead at her feet.” ‘But wherefore, lady, wherefore,’ asked the duke, trembling nervously from head to foot, “‘ did you arm your- self with that — that dagger? ” “Tt is the custom of my country,” was Indora’s cold response, “‘ for a woman when in a strange place to surround herself with all suitable defences.” “Then you picked up that weapon somewhere by accident — only by accident?” cried the duke. ‘Yes — by accident,” was Indora’s answer, still glacially given. “But where? where?” demanded the duke, and his scrutinizing regards were fixed keenly upon the lady’s ECORMICLO@O