The Works of George W. M. Reynolds — page 276: what you’re looking at

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

THE INTERVIEW 259 that Adolphus and Isabella should not wander away from himself and the countess, and therefore, on entering the garden, he kept his son in continued conversation. But Lord Osmond had really no intention of straying; he had provided against the entrance of Christian Ashton, and that was the only thing he cared for. He fancied that there must be some suspicion in his father’s mind, but what it’s precise nature was, he could not conjecture. As for the earl, he was naturally led to imagine that this repetition of the evening walk might be in connection with an expected visit from Christian; and that, after all, Adolphus was really favouring the discarded secretary’s suit toward Miss Vincent. ‘The earl, however, chatted gaily, as if there were nothing to dis- turb his humour, and all the more gaily, too, because he inwardly chuckled at the hope of wreaking a speedy ven- geance on the presumptuous youth who dared aspire to the hand of his niece and stealthily intrude upon his grounds. Meantime Makepeace, in pursuance of Lord Osmond’s hint, had issued from the principal entrance of the grounds, and rapidly skirting the wall he reached the private door, against which he planted himself to await the coming of Christian Ashton. While’ standing there, he caught the sounds of heavy footsteps moving about just inside the garden door; then he heard a strange grating noise, as of some iron me- chanism being acted upon, and this was followed by a sharp click, while a voice just audible to the valet’s ears muttered, ‘“ Botheration take this cursed thing. Ah, that’s right at last.”’ This latter ejaculation was accompanied by another grating metallic noise, and then the footsteps moved away from the neighbourhood of the door. The words were spoken in so low a tone — being merely in a musing strain to the man’s own self — that Makepeace could not recognize who he was, and he was totally at a loss to comprehend what the proceeding meant. He had not, however, much time for reflection ere our young hero made his appearance, and on beholding Makepeace planted against the door, he instantaneously fancied there was something wrong. “ Don’t be alarmed, Mr. Ashton,” said the valet; “I am here to befriend you. You must not enter the garden this evening; Lord Osmond bade me come hither to warn you against it.”’ CONnNIEDOOKS (FO)