The Works of George W. M. Reynolds — page 116: what you’re looking at

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

THE FEMALE GARB 99 her and brandishing the knife over her head, “I am desperate, you have goaded me to madness, your in- sults —”’ ‘“ For God’s sake, be reasonable, Malpas,” she exclaimed, her cheek now growing pale with terror as she saw indeed that he was furiously excited. “Don’t talk to me of reason,” he said, in a voice that was hoarse with concentrated passions. “ Yield yourself to me, or, by all the powers of hell, I swear — ”’ “Put away that knife, I beseech, I implore you,’ Venetia, fearful that he was really going mad. “No,” he rejoined, in the same thick, hoarse accents as before, ‘“‘ for you are so experienced in trickery — _ Besides,”’ he suddenly exclaimed, in a clearer and more excited voice, “I know full well that you will not surrender yourself through love, and that therefore it must be through fear.”’ “ But if I do surrender, will you keep all my secrets? ”’ asked Venetia, scarcely able to repress the accents of anguish and despair which rose up from her very heart’s core to mingle with the tones of her voice. ‘Assume a friendly demeanour toward me,’ answered Malpas, in a milder manner than before, ‘‘ and I shall be friendly toward you. Ah! dear lady, if we could only forget the past and enjoy the present, the future should never be embittered, so far as you are concerned, by word or deed of mine.”’ : ‘“T accept the assurance,” responded Venetia, whose feel- ings at this moment were not enviable even by a person about to be hanged, ‘‘ and I surrender. Hush, hush!” she immediately added, in a lower voice, ‘some one is at the door.”’ ‘No treachery, mind,” said the colonel, in a deep whisper, as he clutched her violently by the arm. : “You shall see whether I intend it,’’ rejoined Venetia. Then as a second rap was heard at the door, she advanced toward it, and said, “‘ Is it you, Jessica? ”’ “ Yes, my lady,” was the answer given by the abigail outside. . “You may retire,’’ Venetia immediately said; ‘‘ there is nothing more to be done to-night.” Having thus spoken, the proud, the brilliant, the envied, ) eried CONNIE OOS (CO) im