The Works of George W. M. Reynolds — page 95: what you’re looking at

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

78 REYNOLDS’ WORKS in the next room, and recognizing Edmund’s voice, we in- stinctively approached the door to listen. The action was so quick on our part that I did not pause for a moment to reflect that 1t might be wrong, and I am sure it was the same with Juliana.”’ “And what did you hear? ’’? demanded Lady Saxondale. ‘““Come, speak, miss, tell me what you heard? ” she added, more sternly, seeing that her daughter hesitated and looked frightened. “Oh, my dear mother,” exclaimed Constance, bursting into tears, ‘li heard you beseech and implore Edmund to treat you with kindness and respect, and it cut me to the quick to think that you should have thus to speak to my brother.”’ ‘Ah! then you were ear-witnesses, young ladies, of your mother’s deep humiliation, her utter degradation?” and as Lady Saxondale spoke with accents of bitterness and im- placability, her countenance grew pale with the fierce feelings that raged within her bosom, and her fine, majestic form trembled from head to foot. ‘“ Dear mother, is it something so terrible, something so unpardonable that we have done? ’’ and Constance turned aside to weep more bitterly than before. “ Juliana,’’ exclaimed Lady Saxondale, ‘“‘ come hither, approach me, I say. Wherefore do you thus stand aside and lounge listlessly in that window recess, as if you were indif- ferent to what is passing? ”’ “ Because I think that your ladyship,’ answered the Honourable Miss Farefield, “ is treating us with unnecessary harshness for a very venial offence, if an offence it be at all.” But as she spoke she advanced toward her mother, of whom she still stood in just sufficient awe not to dare defy her altogether. “There can fall upon a mother’s head no curse more withering than that of having disobedient children,’ said Lady Saxondale, in a strange, deep voice. ‘“ You, Con- stance,” she continued, placing her hand caressingly upon the shoulder of her fair-haired younger daughter, “‘ are penitent for this transgression on your part, and you at least treat me with respect. But you, Juliana,” she added, turning toward the dark-haired elder girl, ‘ are inclined to display that same rebellious spirit which your brother has dared CONNIE OO KS ne