Penny Blood Serial Fiction — page 243: what you’re looking at

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

996) <<< REYNOLDS’ WORKS a greater difficulty. On the fourth morning she asked herself wheretore she should delay it any longer? And what reason there was why she should not come to a speedy explanation concerning herself with Don Diego, in order that she might be in a position to deliberate for the future? And now arose in her mind the transient fear that Christoval might recoil from her when he learned that episode in her life which had struck her as so peculiarly assimilating their positions. But -no; this apprehension was evanescent indeed, for she knew that the count’s love was potent beyond the exercise of any volition on his part, amounting to an idolatry over the romantic infatuation of which he held not the slightest control. On this fourth morning, then, she penned a brief note to Don Diego Christoval, to the effect that she would meet him at seven o'clock in the evening at a particular spot, which she described, and which he could not fail to comprehend, as he must have passed that way both coming and returning on the evening oi their first interview. Throughout that day Elizabeth preserved the same external calmness as hitherto. She had no tear of being prevented from keeping the appointment by any proposal on the part of Frank or Adolphus to accompany her on an evening walk. For we must here observe that both she and Frank were giving Adolphus lessons on such branches of education as he had experienced no opportunity of pursuing since he was twelve years old, on account of his long captivity from that date of his life, at Beech-tree Lodge. It was immediately after breakfast that Elizabeth took her turn to instruct him, and in the evening, after dinner, Frank became the friendly tutor. Thus was it that Elizabeth felt assured of being enabled to go forth alone and meet Don Diego Christoval. But did she not reflect that perhaps she was acting in a way of which her father would disapprove? ‘This idea had not escaped her consideration, but she had resolved that the interview about to take place should be the last until the return of the Marquis of EKagledean. Indeed, she sought this interview for the purpose of assuring herself that Christoval would still continue in the same mind toward her after he had learned the one evil episode in her life. It was necessary she should arrive at a certainty on this subject before she made any communication to the marquis in respect to the Eomichbooks (E(0)