The Works of George W. M. Reynolds — page 125: what you’re looking at

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

108 THE COURT OF LONDON lady as he thus reminded her that she was considerably on the shady side of forty. “Ah! is your lordship so ungallant as to hint that I am getting old?’’ she exclaimed, affecting a tone of good- tempered remonstrance. ‘Let us not diverge from the subject of our discourse,” said the earl. “‘ If you be really afraid of scandalous tongues, let one of your maids accompany us to the room where Editha 1s lying asleep.”’ “But the doctor has declared that she must not be dis- turbed,’’ exclaimed Lady Lechmere, thus making a desperate attempt to clinch the matter at once. “ What! is my wife so bad that the doctor has been sent for? ”’ exclaimed Curzon, superciliously. “It is positively so,’’ responded Lady Lechmere, with a new accession of courage, and therefore meeting the earl’s look with a brazen effrontery. “Well, upon my word,” he cried, laughing in bitter mockery, “‘ this is the most curious thing I ever knew in my life. Here have we my Editha, who, before she has been a quarter of an hour under your ladyship’s roof on the present occasion, has been seized with illness, conveyed to a couch, visited by the doctor, fallen into a sodnd sleep— And I suppose that even the doctor himself has gone? Really, I do not believe that so much was ever summed up in so short a space before.”’ “I do not understand this tone and manner which your lordship thinks fit to assume,” said Lady Lechmere, who, finding that cajolery, remonstrance, and effrontery had all been used in vain, now as a last resource adopted an air of indignation. ‘“‘ What interest have I in deceiving your lordship? For what do you take me? And how dare you come with such a demeanour to my house? ”’ “Ah! since your ladyship puts the matter upon this footing,’ exclaimed the earl, ‘‘ it is necessary that I should speak out. Indeed we have been standing here trifling with each other too long. All this fencing with excuses is useless on your part, and therefore let us bandy words no more. Madam,” he said, suddenly assuming a stern and resolute look, “‘I demand instantaneously to see my wiie.”’ “And I declare, my lord,’ replied Lady Lechmere, CORMELIOO KS (E(0) 00