The Works of George W. M. Reynolds — page 31: what you’re looking at

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

14 THE COURT OF LONDON never so amiable, never so kind, never so truly affable and winning as when this morning, surrounded by her ladies, she chatted so familiarly with us all. Then for a moment did my heart quiver, and strange feelings pass over me, as a sense of the treacherous part which I was enacting struck keenly and acutely upon my soul. But I stifled the sensa- tion, trampled it, as it were, underfoot — ”’ ‘“Say no more, sister,” cried Julia, with evident trepida- tion. “ That is a feeling which I myself have also experi- enced more than once, ay, many, many times, and I cannot bear to think of it. But I wonder whether Curzon and Malpas are still waiting there, or whether they are gone,” she suddenly observed, in order to change the conversation. “°Tis past eleven o’clock,’” she added, glancing at the time- piece which stood upon the mantel. “Yes, more than a quarter past,’ observed Emma, ‘and as our appointments were respectively fixed for eleven punctually, it is not likely that our lovers are waiting still. I wonder how long it will be before we are summoned to Agatha’s room.”’ | ‘And I wonder how Agatha herself, poor girl! is getting on,’ added Julia, a sudden shade appearing upon her countenance. ‘‘ What if anything fatal were to happen to her? ’’ she inquired, with a chill shudder passing visibly over her form. ‘“ Heavens! ’’ ejaculated Emma, catching the infection of that cold tremor, ‘“‘ do not meet misfortunes half-way; do not anticipate an evil that would necessitate the fullest and completest exposure.’’ At this moment a low but hasty knock at the door of the © apartment cut short the conversation between the young ladies, and issuing gently forth, they at once proceeded to Agatha’s chamber, which was precisely opposite. A small lamp was there burning, dimly and feebly, in the fireplace, but the heavy draperies were carefully drawn over the case- ments, so as to prevent even that faint glimmer from being observed without, it being a part of the various precautions adopted that there should be no ground, whatever might transpire thereafter, for any one to be able to afhrm that there was a light seen in Agatha’s chamber on this occasion. The curtains were also drawn closely around the bed in ECORNICLIOOKS im