The Works of George W. M. Reynolds — page 295: what you’re looking at

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278 THE COURT OF LONDON the incidents of his narrative, were to convey a better idea of the effect which it produced on the equerry. But some parts of the disclosure struck him as if a thunderbolt had ~ fallen at his feet, filling him with stupor and amazement, while others made his blood boil with indignation, and others, again, filled him with horror and dismay. The veil of a tremendous mystery had been drawn aside, and the things that 1t revealed were startling, surprising, hideous, exciting, revolting, and monstrous to a degree. That the meshes of a dark, deep, damnable conspiracy had been insidiously woven about the Princess of Wales was clear enough; that the three Misses Owen, beneath the air of sprightliness, affability, and good-humour, concealed the blackest hearts, the worst passions, and the most dissolute lives, was also evident; and that they had with a truly fiendlike cunning and with the most exquisite combination of a demoniac duplicity managed to throw upon the princess all the scandal of their own actions was not the less apparent. But while passing through the various stages of successive emotions produced by the fearful narrative which had just been developed, Baron Bergami had experienced an under- current of feeling made up of admiration for the excellent young man who had so heroically, so generously, and so nobly devoted himself to the cause of the injured Princess of Wales. “In the name of her Royal Highness, Mr. Loftus, since by that name you choose to be called,’’ said the baron, “ do I thank you, most sincerely, most profoundly, for this chivalrous conduct on your part. Had it not been for you, the fatal web of the most infernal conspiracy the world ever saw would have been so woven about this injured princess that the aims of her enemies must have been triumphantly accomplished in ensuring her disgrace, ruin, and downfall. To you, then, she now owes everything, her honour, which is dearer to her than her life. Pardon me, pardon me, u I speak in terms of excitement, but it is because I am inspired — with an enthusiastic admiration of your conduct that I thus give utterance to my feelings.”’ “T have told you candidly, Baron Bergami,” said Loitus, after a few suitable words in acknowledgment of the thanks tendered him by the royal equerry, “‘ that scandal, not con- tent with attributing to her Royal Highness all the profli- ECORMICLIOO KS, (e@) am ;