The Works of George W. M. Reynolds — page 313: what you’re looking at

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

296 REYNOLDS’ WORKS to prove unfaithful to it. Whosoever therefore the object of this love might be, Lady Saxondale was fully prepared to regard and to treat her as a rival; and thus was this woman, naturally so proud, so strong-minded, and so digni- fied in her conduct, ready to descend to the meanness of jealousy, the paltriness of envy, and the pettiness of revenge, in a matter where after all she herself had sustained no substantial nor real injury. But where a woman’s passion is concerned, her whole nature becomes warped according to circumstances and influences. . Ungenerous herself in the course which she was thus prepared to pursue, Lady Saxondale could not help fancying that Deveril was equally likely to take an ungenerous advantage of the scene which had placed her in his power. In short, she believed that he was likely, in consequence of her threats, to spread the story of her overtures and his refusal. At all events, she argued, if he did not do so at once he would hereafter, when he found that she had given utterance to no idle threats, but was pursuing him and her rival, whoever she might be, with her implacable resentment. Therefore she resolved to be beforehand with him in all respects, and by telling the story herself, put upon it the complexion that would suit her own interests, and throw complete discredit on any counter-statement he might hereaiter make. So soon as William Deveril had parted from Lady Saxon- dale in the manner described in the previous chapter, she promptly .composed her feelings, and ringing the bell, inquired whether her daughters had returned from their ride in the carriage. She was answered in the negative, and she therefore waited patiently till they came back. On their arrival the young ladies, hearing that their mother had inquired for them, hastened to put off their bonnets and shawls, and then proceeded to the drawing-room where her ladyship was now seated. “My dear girls,” she said, in a far more caressing and lively manner than she was wont to adopt toward them, especially in respect to the eldest, Juliana, “ you will never conjecture how singular a scene has been taking place during your absence.”’ ‘At all events, my dear mother,’’ answered Constance, ‘it was of no very serious character, for you are gay over ) CONNIE IO KS (E(0)