The Works of George W. M. Reynolds — page 121: what you’re looking at

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

104 THE COURT OF LONDON was filled with misgivings, and Gertrude also shared them. Ah! the faithful and intelligent girl. She besought me not to think of seeing you to-night, but I was bewildered, I was frenzied, | was driven half-mad at the prospect of disgrace, and my agitated feelings got the better of my prudence, so that I sent for you.’ ‘“ Well, dearest Editha,’’ said Horace, ‘‘ whatever mischief is done cannot now be reealled.”’ ‘“ And besides,’’ resumed the unhappy lady, with a sort of hysterical quickness, “ suppose that our fears are un- founded, that the earl really will not return until to-morrow, and that there is no pitfall dug to entrap us, it is but a post- ponement for a short space, perhaps only a few hours, for exposure, scandal, and ruin must come at last.’’ “ Yes, you speak but too truly, my poor Editha,’’ said Horace, straining her to his breast and kissing away the tears that were now trickling down her cheeks. “ Four months and a half he has been absent -— ” ‘And three months am I advanced in the way to become a mother,’ murmured Editha, in accents broken by half- stifled sobs. ‘“‘ Oh,’’ she suddenly exclaimed, in a paroxysm of hysterical excitement, “ disgrace must inevitably over- take me. It cannot be avoided. It is impossible the earl can be made to believe that he is the father of the child I bear in my bosom, and, as I have already told you, his sus- picions were awakened even previous to his departure — ”’ “Think you that he has ever been absent at all? ’’ asked Sackville, suddenly. ‘‘ What if the two laconic letters re- ceived from Milan and Geneva were posted in those cities by some friend to whom your husband sent them? What if all the while he has been concealed in London, watching the progress of our amour — ”’ “No, I do not fancy that for a moment,” answered Editha. ‘ Besides, even if it were so, our precautions have been so well taken, we might defy all his pryings and peer- ings; for not even do the very domestics suspect that I have once slept away from the house or once done aught which a lady of virtue might not do. But it is my position that threatens me with exposure.”’ “Then what is to be done?” asked Lord Sackville, evi- dently much bewildered and alarmed. ‘‘ What would you have me do, dearest Editha? ”’ ) ECORNICLIOO KS (E(0) im