The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 296: what you’re looking at

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

274 THE COURT OF LONDON vowed to become her protecting genius. Bernard Audley, you now understand that it was my own niece, my dead sister’s offspring, whom you would have basely sacrificed to your passion.” “ But I knew not of this relationship between you,” ex- claimed the minor canon, growing still more impatient than at first, especially as his steed was pawing the ground in a restless manner. ‘No, you knew it not,” said Lilian, “‘ but even if you had been aware of the circumstance, it would not have stayed the wild career of your passions. Oh, man of infamy, hast thou no fear for the future, thou who makest such a bad use of the present? But the time for vengeance has arrived. Too long, oh, far too long, have I endured your scorn, your indifference, perhaps even your hate, I who sacrificed everything and endured so much on your account. Yes, Bernard Audley, I now hate as much as I once loved, and when the love of a woman turns to hatred, it is bitterness indeed.”’ ‘ Lilian, you are mad. I leave you,” exclaimed the minor canon, and he endeavoured to wheel his horse around so as to gallop back over the heights. But Lilian Halkin, with a wild cry, extended her arms suddenly, and rushed forward in such a manner that the steed started in affright and reared straight up. Then thrilled forth a still wilder cry from the lips of Bernard Audley, through whose brain flashed a harrowing sense of the fearful catastrophe that must ensue. Desperately did he dash his heels into the flanks of his steed, in the hope of making him spring forward, but Lilian, now inspired with the malignant fury of a fiend, waved her white handkerchief before the eyes of the terrified animal, who backed suddenly and reared again. All this was the work of a few moments, and the next instant over they went, horse and man! Terrific were the cries of both as they fell down the abyss, and Lilian, standing upon the very edge of the cliff, beheld the frightful fall. In another instant all was still, the catas- trophe was accomplished, the steed and its master lay mo- tionless upon the beach below. Then Lilian Halkin turned away and fled precipitately. At a distance down the sloping eminences she met some persons, to whom, with a real horror in her looks, — for comicloooks (© im