The Works of George W. M. Reynolds — page 145: what you’re looking at

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

{28 THE COURT OF LONDON ‘“Yes,’’ responded Horace, ‘ the report will circulate like wildfire. ’Tis the Countess xe Curzon.”’ “ By Jupiter! I should not have thought it,’’ exclaimed Tash. ‘‘ From what I heard, I fancied she was eae itself.”’ ‘Never mind what you hegre? sald Horace, ‘‘ here is a positive fact for you. The earl has ere now discovered his wife and me together at Mrs. Gale’s.”’ ‘“And a very respectable place, too,’ observed Tash. ‘“T once broke a bishop’s head there for getting possession of a girl of mine, and knocked a doctor of divinity’s eye out on another occasion because he wouldn’t stand a second dozen of wine. But what has become of the countess? ”’ ‘“She has gone to one of her sisters for the rest of this night,’’? answered Horace, ‘and to-morrow morning she means to leave London.’’ ‘But when did this take place? ”’ “Soon after twelve o’clock,” replied Horace. ‘ But the time has slipped away a iale I have been escorting the unhappy lady to her sister’s, and then hurrying off to Lady Lechmere’s to ascertain what had happened there and fetch her maid Gertrude — ”’ ‘Your lordship seems to be talking as 1f you thought I knew all about it,” interrupted Tash. | AD trues y exclaimed Horace. ‘“‘ But I cannot enter into details now, I am too excited.”’ ‘Tie down and go to sleep,” said the captain, “ and you will wake up quite refreshed and comfortable, ready to eat a good breakfast and then go out and fight a duel with Lord Curzon. For of course you want me to be your second, and of all offices in the world there is none that I fulfil so well as that. By all the daggers and cannons! I will stick to you to the very last; and you shall never leave the ground till you have either killed your adversary or been killed yourself.” “Do not prate in this manner, Tash,” said Horace, impatiently. ‘‘ But pardon my excitement. I.am fearfully agitated, — not that I dread the duel, which is doubtless inevitable, but because it will create such a scandal — ”’ ‘“ Scandal, egad!’’ vociferated the captain, “I wish to heavens that I was about to be the object of such scandal. Why, courted as you are now by all the fashionable world, it is nothing to the way in which you will be sought after, ECORMIELIOO KS (E(0)