The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 350: what you’re looking at

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

EARL OF MONTGOMERY’S VISITORS — 319 and hence the early visit which I have paid you and my importunity to see you.”’ ‘“ You have conferred upon me an obligation which I can never forget,’”’ said the earl, pressing his friend’s hand with the warm effusion of gratitude. ‘ Alas! I have this morning received terrible tidings. My poor brother Raymond is no more; he has been foully murdered — ”’ ‘‘ Murdered!’”’ repeated Florimel, with the convulsive start of unfeigned horror. “Yes, murdered, most foully, diabolically murdered,” exclaimed the earl, with an outburst of grief that was ap- parently most violent and rending. ‘ But I have not time to enter into particulars now, Gabriel,’ he added, in a less excited but deeper voice; “‘ and moreover I recollect that I have not as yet broken the dreadful intelligence to my poor mother, who will be driven to despair.”’ “This is shocking — most shocking, my poor friend,” said Lord Florimel, his tone and manner displaying the deepest sympathy. ‘ But you must lose no time in revealing the lamentable occurrence to the countess; for should it reach her abruptly and without due preparation, from any other source, it may prove a mortal blow.” ‘That is what I fear,’ said the earl; “‘ and I will therefore lose no time in discharging this most painful, most agonizing task.’’ “T sincerely sympathize with you, Eugene,’’ exclaimed Lord Florimel; and, unwilling any longer to intrude upon his friend’s privacy, the young nobleman took his departure. The moment he was gone, Lord Montgomery repaired to his mother’s apartment, where he gradually broke to her the intelligence of her younger son’s death. The wild agony of grief into which the unhappy lady was thrown exceeds all power of description; her haughty, overbearing nature was bent, crushed, and overwhelmed.beneath the stupendous weight of affliction which thus came down upon her. She raved, she tore her hair, she beat her bosom, and then she fell into a kind of torpor which lasted till medical aid arrived. The earl watched his mother narrowly throughout those paroxysms, until their agony was absorbed in the numbness of a partial stupefaction. The significance of every working of her countenance did he scrutinize, the meaning of every word she uttered did he catch with an intense anxiety; but Eomicdooks (E()