The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 93: what you’re looking at

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

12 THE COURT OF LONDON “Ah! Miss Gertrude,” interrupted the earl, with a bitter irony in his accents, “ the artifice is ingenious, but it will not succeed. ’Tis true that you might have borrowed the countess’s dress, but how came the countess’s carriage to bring you home from Lady Lechmere’s? ”’ Thus speaking, with a voice and look showing that he was not to be deceived, he pushed hastily by the discomfited sirl, and seized upon Editha’s writing-desk which stood upon a table. On the former occasion when he had searched that desk, be 1t remembered, one of his own keys fitted it, and he now therefore had no difficulty in opening the desk again. : ‘* Her ladyship is lost! ’’ thought Gertrude within herself, as in cruel alarm she contemplated the earl’s proceeding; for the abigail was pretty well assured that the desk would furnish proofs of her ladyship’s amours. Resolved to save the countess, however, at any risk, and indeed at any sacrifice 1f it were possible, Gertrude advanced up to the table, and seizing her noble master’s hand, she said, in a low, deep tone, “ I conjure your lordship not to consummate this outrage against your innocent wife, nor give way to any suspicions which my folly and indiscretion may have excited.”’ The earl was too much tortured by the pangs of jealousy to experience any flaming up of a sensual passion through the contact of that soft warm hand which was thus pur- posely placed in contact with his own; but looking up, he met the earnest and imploring gaze which the pretty abigail’s dark eyes fixed upon him. Then suddenly recollecting that on the former occasion of his suspicions being awakened against his wife, he had resolved to win over Gertrude to his interest if possible, and therefore seizing the present opportunity, he suddenly took both her hands in his own, and assuming a tender look, said, ‘‘ My dear girl, you are deep in the confidence of your mistress; tell me everything, and I swear that I will always be your friend. I will never desert you, I will place you in a comfortable position, and will bestow upon you as much of my love as it is in my nature to experience or be able to give.” Thus speaking, he drew Gertrude toward him and passed his arm around her waist. The young woman not only suffered herself to be thus treated with a tenderness that CoORnniclooolks (E(@)