The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 333: what you’re looking at

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

CHAPTER XXIV THE DAGGER On the following day, soon after breakfast, the Princess Indora issued forth to ramble over the domain and its neighbourhood. She had desired Purvis to accompany her, and the old man pointed out all the various features of interest; but somehow or another he found himself led on to speak again of the tragedy so intimately connected with Oaklands. The Princess Indora made him describe to her the exact personal appearance of the Duchess Eliza, that of the old duke her husband, and that of Bertram Vivian. Purvis, naturally garrulous, was never wearied of conversing on a topic which constituted the main incident in his own experiences of life; and thus, if the Eastern lady had any secret purpose of her own, or if she were merely impelled by an irresistible feeling of curiosity to seek information on these points, she could not possibly have addressed herself to a person more competent or more willing to afford it. Her wanderings with Purvis brought her toward the pond by the side of which the corpse of the murdered duke was discovered, and there for a few minutes she lingered, gazing upon the very spot where, as Purvis informed her, he and Leachley, the late duke’s valet, had found their lifeless, murdered master. While retracing their way toward the mansion, the dis- course still continued on the same topic; and Indora seemed as willing to hear as the old steward was to impart all details, even the very minutest, in connection with the topic which appeared to have so profound an interest for them both. Yet the princess so shaped her questions and so phrased her remarks that Purvis entertained not the remotest suspicion that she might possibly be mnpellng by some feeling stronger CORNICLO@ (CO)