The Works of George W. M. Reynolds — page 223: what you’re looking at

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

206 THE COURT OF LONDON ceiving expression to the sympathy which he in reality ex- perienced toward this wronged and afflicted lady. “®Vhen I could no longer conceal from myself this truth which I have just avowed,’’ she proceeded, at length, but still with half-averted countenance, on which the blood mantled and then fled as abruptly again beneath the olive hue of her complexion, “‘ | resolved to seek him who is the father of the babe which I bearin my bosom. All hesitation vanished; my mind was made up. Thinking no more of revenge, but only of love and tenderness, I took my departure from Paris. This was in the beginning of March, and I pro- ceeded into Germany. Being rich, Mr. Loftus, although you find me living in this close seclusion now, I had ample means to enable me to prosecute the search which I had under- taken. It was a search aiter a lover, and I had resolved, 1 I succeeded in finding him, I would say, ‘ Return not to your own home in England; renounce it, abandon it, for my sake. Was it not your own proposition at the time of my fall that I should dare public opinion to become your mistress openly? Now, then, do I call upon you to accept me in that light. It will cost you no pang to desert a wife whom you do not love for a mistress whom you have declared you adore. And, behold! I will place my fortune at your feet; all that | possess shall be yours. There is no sacrifice that I am not prepared to make for you, so that when my as yet unborn infant comes into the world it may at least be received in the arms of a father.’ In the hope of finding him to whom { might thus address myself, did I travel throughout Ger- many, but I could obtain no trace of him. I passed into {taly. It was now the beginning of April, and at Milan I succeeded in hearing tidings of an individual exactly answer- ing his description, but passing under a false name. Several months, I learned, had elapsed since he was there, and on prosecuting my inquiries I discovered, beyond all possibility of mistake, that he was sedulously pursuing a rival with his addresses. Yes, he had been seen by domestics belonging to the hotel at which he resided — But wherefore need | enter into these particulars? Suffice it to say that I obtained the fullest proof of his infidelity, but, following up the clue, I came on to Geneva. A fortnight only has elapsed since I arrived in this city, where, if additional evidence were want- ing i discovered enough to convince me that imstead of ECORMIELNOO KS (E(0}