The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 96: what you’re looking at

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

THE LADY’S - MAID 79 vehemence, “‘ but I shall confess nothing, because there is nothing to confess.”’ ‘“'We shall see,’’ muttered the earl, with concentrated passion; and he continued his examination of the contents of the writing-desk. 7 One after another he glanced at the papers and tossed them aside; but presently he drew forth an envelope ad- dressed to the countess in a bold mercantile hand and with the word ‘ Private ”’ in the corner. Hastily opening this packet, the earl discovered that it contained several bills of exchange, the acceptances of which at first struck him to be his own; but perceiving that they were drawn by Percy Malpas, he instantaneously knew that he had never put his name to such securities at all in favour of the colonel. A closer examination showed him that the acceptance, written in his own name, was a forgery, and on looking at the back he perceived the endorsement of Emmer- son. Ten thousand demons now appeared to be tearing at the earl’s heart, while vulture-talons were fastening upon his brain, as some portion of the truth became revealed to his comprehension. For he saw, he understood, he compre- hended but too well that it was his wife who had forged his name to those bills, and the forgery had been perpetrated in favour of Colonel Malpas. Then what else could he surmise but that the colonel had been Editha’s paramour? Poor Gertrude now indeed felt more than ever convinced that her beloved mistress was lost without redemption. She knew of those bills, knew that Emmerson had sent them back, recollected that the packet had been delivered one day to the countess when seated in the boudoir with two or three lady friends, and remembered also that Editha had hurriedly consigned that packet to her desk at the moment, with the intention of destroying its contents when alone. But the oversight on Editha’s part in neglecting to do so now threatened to prove fatal indeed; and the poor girl, as all these thoughts swept through her brain, trembled to the deepest confines of her whole being. The Earl of Curzon had become ghastly pale, so that his naturally handsome countenance was now almost hideous to gaze upon, while the sinister light that shone in his eyes bespoke terrible plans of vengeance already revolving in his mind. Flinging a fearfully sardonic look upon Gertrude, Cconniclooolks (C(O)