The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 320: what you’re looking at

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

290) THE COURT OF LONDON the pieces of drapery cut from the curtains in the boudoir,” said Caroline, ‘‘ I was enabled to coerce her at will. After the failure of my stratagem, and when I fled precipitately from Mrs. Brace’s house, I wrote a letter to the Unknown enjoining her on no account to attempt a renewal of her connection with you, if she valued her reputation and her honour; for that I would mercilessly expose her if she dared act in contravention to my commands.” ‘“ But wherefore did you adopt this course, Caroline? ”’ inquired Florimel. ‘‘ Surely it would have been a pleasurable spectacle to you, ere the change came over your vindictive frame of mind, to behold me rush headlong into the vortex of infatuation and folly by marrying that unknown lady?” , ‘““ No, Gabriel; I feared that if you married her, she would indeed be able to persuade George Woodfall to abandon the law proceedings instituted against you; and then, previously to the recovery of the documents from Rigden, your case was hopeless in the extreme. I have now told you everything —I have explained ali. Having for a season pursued you with unrelenting rancour, having seized upon every oppor- tunity to strew your path with thorns and raise up difficulties around you, I am now brought, by the imminence of death, to that frame of mind which renders me truly contrite and penitent for the past. Though deep were the wrongs which I sustained at your hands, I ought to have tutored myself to pardon them, or at least to bear them resignedly, instead of seeking a detestable revenge.” ‘“‘ No, Caroline, now you are falling into extremes,” cried Florimel. ‘“‘ I behaved most vilely to you, and you would have been deficient in a proper spirit had you not smarted under my conduct and sought the means of revenge. But your explanations are not quite complete; you have for- _gotten to name the Unknown — ”’ rae ‘‘ T am growing faint, Gabriel, my strength is exhausted,’ murmured Caroline, in a low and tremulous voice; “ a dimness comes over my eyes — ”’ “ But the name, Caroline, the Unknown?” whispered _ Florimel, in as urgent a manner as feelings of propriety and delicacy would permit him to adopt under the circum- stances. ‘‘ Bend down your head — nearer — closer, Gabriel,’’ said the dying girl, in a still lower and fainter voice. ‘‘ Let. me ] CONNIE NOOO KS m