The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 47: what you’re looking at

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

THE EXPLOSION 31 duchess. “‘But speak. What have youtosay? Hesitate not, fear not, but speak, I command you.” “Would it not be better,” inquired Amy, turning her troubled looks from one to the other, “ if your Grace were to throw yourself upon his lordship’s mercy — ”’ “Amy, this is an insult,” cried Lavinia, with all the dignity but distress of outraged innocence. “ There is some horrible misconception. Proclaim it at once, that I may speedily refute it.”’ “ Alas, madam,” said the young woman, who was amazed at the confidence with which the duchess spoke, but yet could not do otherwise than attribute it to a bold hardihood, ‘‘ appearances are indeed so much against your Grace — ” “And those appearances?’’ demanded Lavinia, with mingled imperiousness and vehemence, so that the usually mild, gentle, and soft-speaking duchess appeared quite another being in the eyes of her dependent. ‘“‘ Speak out, Amy,” cried the duke. “Tf I must,” resumed the lady’s-maid, “ it is my painful duty to declare that I saw your Grace issue from the chamber of Mr. Stanhope — ” “‘ What? ” cried the duchess, the burning blush of indig- nation and outraged modesty in a moment suffusing her countenance, and then her looks in the space of the next half-dozen seconds indicated all possible varieties and transi- tions of excited feeling, — astonishment and distress, anger and bewilderment, uncertainty and terror. ‘“‘ You dare say that, Amy? You to be guilty of such dreadful wickedness! It is false, — false as ever the vilest falsehood in this world could be.” “ It is true,” thundered the duke. ‘ For I myself beheld you with mine own eyes, as Amy herself did.” “‘T repeat,” cried the miserable duchess, now again com- pletely overwhelmed by the astounding nature of the charge, — ‘‘ I repeat, and I call Heaven to witness that it is false! ”’ “It is true — too true,” vociferated the duke, stamping his foot violently upon the carpet. “Tt is false,’ exclaimed another person, who at this moment threw open the door and appeared upon the scene. It was Christian Ashton. The guilty Duke of Marchmont was for an instant stag- CONMIC OOO) (CO)