The Works of George W. M. Reynolds — page 164: what you’re looking at

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

‘\ THE WIFE'S STRATAGEM 147 The Earl of Curzon gave vent to an ejaculation of dismay while starting from Venetia’s arms as if she had suddenly changed into a serpent. Then, as he beheld the scarlet glow which flamed up on the countenance of her husband, he naturally thought that it was a fiery indignation which was thus expressed. But though perhaps for the first instant there might have been such a feeling in Sackville’s heart, yet it was rather with amazement that he was thus inspired, — amazement mingled with a feeling of shame, too, at the spectacle that now met hiseyes. But almost instantaneously recovering his presence of mind, and of course penetrating the stratagem which Venetia had thus adopted, he closed the door, locked it, and advanced a few paces farther into the boudoir. Curzon knew not what to say or what to do. He was over- whelmed with confusion, until Venetia suddenly bursting out laughing recalled him to a iull sense of his position. Yes, and all in a moment the truth flashed to his mind. It wasa stratagem on the part of Lady Sackville to place him and her husband precisely on the same footing toward each other. But, heavens! what an utter profligate did Venetia now seem in his eyes! What a shameless meretricious woman had she thus rendered herself! Such were the thoughts that flashed through the mind of the Earl of Curzon all in a moment. “JT congratulate your lordship,’ he said, a withering irony in his accents, “‘ upon the possession of such an amiable and excellent wife, who thus readily sacrifices herself in order to save you from a duel to which | now of course cannot challenge you.”’ “At all events, my lord,’’ retorted Horace, his counte- nance again becoming scarlet, ‘‘ since I know myself to be profligate and debauched, I am not base enough to go laying snares to entrap my wife, nor unjust enough to reproach her when I find that she goes astray.” “ Well,” said Curzon, contemptuously, “I do not think we need stand here bandying words. ’Tis quite apparent now that I cannot challenge you to meet me at a dozen paces, nor can you challenge me. Neither can I very well bring an action against you, nor you against me.” ~ It would indeed be the most ridiculous pair of lawsuits,” observed Horace, “that ever were brought before the CORNICLOOL cS (C(O)