The Works of George W. M. Reynolds — page 300: what you’re looking at

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

THE DEED OF A NIGHT 283 attaches itself to some individual; the circumstances of the deed present a clue, or there is a known motive which might have influenced the suspected person. But in the present case there was nothing of all this, —no clue left behind by any want of caution on the assassin’s part, no visible object which any one had to gain by such a deed, no known motive that might have served as an impulse to any particu- lar individual. After the discovery of the terrific crime, the Countess of Lascelles was borne in a swoon back to her own chamber, whence she had hurried to the tragic scene, as above de- scribed. Isabella, on learning that it was all too true, like- wise fell into unconsciousness, and was conveyed to her apartment, — a serious indisposition supervening. Adol- phus appeared most profoundly horrified and shocked, and for some hours he was quite incapable of issuing any instruc- tions. Makepeace bewailed the loss of the master who had always been so kind and indulgent to him, and all the other servants of that extensive establishment seemed to be stricken with consternation and grief. Indeed these feelings appeared to be universal within those walls, and yet many doubtless said to themselves, ‘‘ There must be one accom- plished dissembler amongst us, — one being whose hypocrisy 1s as perfect as his crime is tremendous.”’ It was therefore a fearful thing for those who were inno- cent, to be compelled thus to reason within themselves. As one looked upon another, he said to himself, ‘ At this moment I may be gazing on the assassin,” and that other was with equal probability saying the same thing within his own heart as he looked in the face of the former. Such a state of things aggravated the horror, the dismay, and the consternation which prevailed throughout the house; yet no one offered to leave it, for such a proceeding, by itself alone, might have at once drawn down suspicion on the head of such person. There was a coroner’s inquest, but nothing transpired to throw the faintest light on this appalling mystery. The proceedings terminated without affixing the remotest sus- picion upon any individual. Not a garment had been found bearing a blood-stain in any room, save that where the tragedy itself occurred; no knife, nor weapon of any other description, had been specially pointed at as the one which ECORVICLOOO® <“S (S(O) im