The Works of George W. M. Reynolds — page 303: what you’re looking at

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

286 REYNOLDS’ WORKS ‘“Unhand me, murderer,” cried the countess, recoiling as if with a strong shudder from his touch. ‘“ Murderess,’”’ literally growled Adolphus, with savage ferocity. ‘“‘ Beautiful as you once were, you are now loath- some to my eyes.”’ ‘““Monster,’’ retorted Ethel, with keenest bitterness, ‘“ you are horrible as a fiend in my sight.” There was nearly a minute’s silence, during which those two beings gazed upon each other, with the strongest feelings of horror, aversion, and loathing expressed in their counte- nances. Their eyes appeared to burn; yet they did not shoot forth fitful glances; it was with a steady fire shining from the eyes of one toward the eyes of the other, transfusing mutual abhorrence. Yet neither seemed to dare avert those eyes from the other, lest it should be thought there was quailing and cowardice, for whatever the truth might be, very certain it was that Adolphus chose to affix the crime upon Ethel, while Ethel seemed equally resolute in affixing it upon Adolphus. | “You dare stand before me thus?” said the countess, at length breaking silence; “you dare meet my regards thus steadily, when your own heart tells you that you are a murderer? ”’ ‘‘ And you, Ethel,’ retorted the Earl of Lascelles, ‘ exhibit such a spectacle of brazen female hardihood that fills me with even more astonishment than your capability of committing the crime itself, for your conscience all the while is whispering that you are a murderess.”’ “ Oh,” exclaimed Ethel, quivering visibly from head to foot, ‘‘ that there should be such a power of hypocrisy in man. What earthly purpose does it serve you to deny your crime in my presence, when you know that, considering all the past, I dare not betray you? ”’ “Come, Ethel,”’ responded Adolphus, “ at least let this scene of hideous mockery terminate. Confess your guilt, for you likewise know that I dare not betray you.”’ ‘“ Wretch! coward — thus to treat a woman,” cried Ethel. “Ah! but if that woman, being a murderess,” retorted Adolphus, “‘ brings it all upon herself.” ‘You are driving me to madness,” exclaimed the countess, stamping her foot upon the floor. “ Does not all evidence brand you with the guilt of this stupendous crime? Weve Gomichbooks m