The Works of George W. M. Reynolds — page 253: what you’re looking at

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

236 REYNOLDS’ WORKS Angela Vivaldi again to-night, for you were desperately enamoured of her before you knew me. Indeed, you told me so.”’ “My dear Emily, it only required to know you in order to put the Signora Vivaldi altogether out of my head. Besides,’’ added Saxondale, in a very low and mysterious whisper, ‘‘my friend Lord Harold Stauton— you know him? ”’ “Yes, I think I do,” replied Miss Emily, appearing to reflect for a few moments, though, in good truth, it was very far from necessary, for she was full well acquainted with that nobleman, as of course he was with her. ‘“ Well, what about him? ”’ ‘Oh, he intends to pay his court to Angela.” ‘She is a prude, a veitable prude,” observed Emily Archer, “‘ but the stillest water is sometimes that which runs the deepest. And now tell me, my dear Edmund, have you thought of the little commission I gave you this morn- ing, when you so kindly insisted upon doing something as a proof of your affection? ”’ ‘““T have it here,” he responded, significantly tapping his waistcoat pocket. ‘“ Ah! I dare say you thought I had gone and lost it all at cards to-night, but you see you are mis- taken.”’ | ‘Then I suppose you called upon old Musters, as I told you? ’’ observed Emily. ‘““ Yes, to be sure, or else how could I have obtained the money? As for getting such a sum in addition to my allow- ance from old Lord Petersfield or those scurvy fellows | Marlow and Malton, it was out of the question, particularly as that blessed mother of mine has been making mischief between me and my guardians. Would you believe it, they want me to go abroad as unpaid attaché to an embassy, or else to go and bury myself down in that dreadful old castle in Lincolnshire.”’ ‘“ But you will not, though? ” said Miss Archer, somewhat alarmed lest the young nobleman should be suddenly re- moved from beyond the sphere of her influence. “ Don’t be afraid, my dear Emily,” responded Saxondale, ‘““T am not quite such a fool. Besides, since you have given me this introduction to the old money-lender, and he is so exceedingly complaisant, I shall feel myself perfectly inde- Gomichbooks: co