The Works of George W. M. Reynolds — page 308: what you’re looking at

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

THE PRINCESS — MRS. HUBBARD 291 manded a magnificent view of the lake and all the surround- ing scenery. But to the beauties of nature her attention was not given, though her eyes were fixed thereon, for the incident of noon had troubled her sorely, and the longer she meditated upon it the greater became her misgivings and her alarms. “Ah, baron, I am so glad you have returned,’’ she ex- claimed, the moment he entered the room. “ Having written a long letter to my dearest daughter Charlotte, and another to my sister-in-law Sophia, I came and shut myseli up alone in this room to think in solitude. Ah! and thinking is ofttimes so mournful, so sad, especially when aught has arisen to fill the mind with new apprehensions, fresh mis- givings. But what have you done? Whom have you seen? Speak, tell me; I am in a flutter of excitement.’’ ‘“T cannot obey your Royal Highness so speedily,’’ said the baron, with the profoundest respect. ‘‘ Indeed, con- ) sidering what I have heard, I think it would be far more prudent if your Royal Highness would restrain your 1m- patience until to-morrow, and then I shall be better enabled — ”’ “ But tell me, am I menaced by any danger? ”’ asked the princess, with a visible tremor. “No, madam, solemnly and sacredly, no.”’ “Then is my mind at once set at ease,’ rejoined the princess, her looks instantaneously brightening up, “‘ and you may either tell me as much as you choose to unveil, or nothing at all, if you prefer I should wait until to-morrow. I know that you are my friend, baron, and therefore I place unlimited confidence in you.”’ Bergami bowed, saying, in a voice which betrayed the deep emotion that he felt, ‘‘ Depend upon it, madam, I will never betray the trust with which you honour me.”’ As he thus spoke, with his looks cast down, a sigh, an ill- subdued and but haltf-stifled sigh, fell upon his ear, but scarcely more audibly than the seared leaf of autumn, when falling from the tree, kisses the ground beneath, and like that seared leaf cast off from the withering tree was the sigh thus thrown from the princess’s heart. -“ Then you have seen Lady Prescott again? Or you have seen Mr. Loftus?’ she immediately exclaimed, in a hurried manner, and scarcely knowing what she said, so tumultuous Gomicbdooks (CO)