Penny Blood Serial Fiction — page 196: what you’re looking at

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

LADY EVERTON 179 of her first ideas she let fall some expressions which more than half-betrayed the fatal secret. Starting up in a sudden access of frenzy, — aware of the tremendous inadvertence which she had committed, — she gazed upon her brother, her brother-in-law, and Lord Petersfield in a manner which confirmed the suspicions just engendered in their minds. They consigned her to her maids, and Heaven alone knows, besides themselves, what took place between those three men when alone together. ‘‘ In the course of the afternoon Sir John Marston repaired to his sister’s chamber, and told her frankly that Mr. Everton had searched her writing-desk, and had discovered docu- mentary proofs of her illicit connection with the Marquis of Eagledean. Poor Alexandrina threw herself at her brother’s feet, beseeching he would intercede with Mr. Everton not to expose and ruin her. Sir John Marston as- sured her that both himself and Lord Petersfield had already exerted their united influence with Mr. Everton to this effect, and that he had promised to throw the veil of secrecy over her guilt, but only on the condition that the marquis should at once leave England, with the solemn pledge not to revisit its shores for many long, long years. Alexandrina wrote a letter to Lord Eagledean, telling him what had occurred, and beseeching him to give the sacred promise upon which her fate depended. This letter Mr. Everton determined to bear himself to the marquis, so that he might, as he alleged, be satisfied as to the reply. ‘’ Proceeding at once to London, Mr. Everton called upon the Marquis of Eagledean, who was plunged into despair at the fearful occurrence which had thus exposed the un- fortunate Alexandrina’s frailty. The marquis did not up- braid Mr. Everton for having violated the sanctity of his sister-in-law’s desk. He was too anxious to conciliate him. Moreover, he could not help feeling that when once that gentleman’s suspicions were aroused, he had a right to adopt any means to discover proofs of the infidelity of his absent brother’s wife. Mr. Everton renewed his proposal that if the marquis would leave England with a solemn promise to remain absent for a long series of years, and to desist from all correspondence with Alexandrina, he would spare the exposure of her dishonour. Lord Eagledean was but too rejoiced to assent to this decision. Indeed, it only GOmicdoo <S (C(O)