The Works of George W. M. Reynolds — page 110: what you’re looking at

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

REUNION OF THE PARTY OF Six 93 “I mean,”’ replied the earl, ‘‘ that I am very much mis- taken if — ”’ But he stopped short as the door was again thrown open and the Marquis of Leveson made his appearance. Malpas hastened to welcome the old debauchee, who, after shaking hands with Curzon and Sir Douglas, drew the colonel aside, saying, ‘‘ I’m really afraid this will turn out an unpleasant business.’’ “How do you mean?” inquired Malpas, a cold terror seizing upon him. ‘Because it must produce a quarrel between you and Sackville.”’ “No such thing. If he were fool enough to be gulled into a marriage with a woman who had previously surrendered herself to me — ”’ ‘There is some force in your argument,’’ interrupted Lord Leveson; ‘‘ but let us look well at the matter so as to anticipate, if possible, any dispute with Sackville, which might give publicity to the thing.”’ ‘Oh, for his own sake, he will not let the world know what a fool he has been,” said the colonel, evidently anxious to escape from the colloquy into which the marquis was drawing him. ‘At all events, let us talk it over, Malpas,’’ persisted the nobleman; and leading him still farther toward the extremity of the spacious drawing-room, he proceeded to argue upon the necessity of caution, but evidently with ‘the more interested object of extracting from the colonel all the particulars relative to his presumed triumph over Venetia. Meanwhile Sir Douglas Huntingdon had drawn the Ear! of Curzon aside to the other extremity of the drawing-room ) and looking him earnestly in the face, he said, ‘‘ What was the observation you were about to make when Leveson arrived? ”’ “Well, I hardly know whether I ought to give utterance to my suspicions,’ returned the earl, in a musing tone; “ but in confidence between you and me, I have every reason to believe that Venetia abandoned herself to the Marquis of Leveson and the Prince of Wales —’’ » And I have entertained precisely the same suspicions,” interrupted the baronet. \ (C(O) mn (C 0)(6)() (SO)