The Works of George W. M. Reynolds — page 311: what you’re looking at

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

204 THE COURT OF LONDON sald personator was wont to appear. Mrs. Hubbard like- wise mentioned that, now she came to think seriously upon the matter, she had more than once fancied at the time that the person whom she took for Baron Bergami always looked shorter than he really was. But now there was another phase in the tremendous conspiracy which Mrs Hubbard revealed to the baron, and this was that on two occasions when she had been induced by Mrs. Ranger to peep forth from her room, she had seen the princess herself introducing a paramour along the passage. Astonishment for a minute prevented Bergami from uttering a word; but when he was enabled to question her, he found that she consistently and positively pledged herself to having seen her Royal Highness on two consecu- tive occasions approaching up the passage, in company each time with a male stranger. When asked how she knew it was the princess, Mrs. Hubbard replied that it was because she wore the satin cloak bordered with ermine and the green silk hood which she was wont to put on of an evening, and which it was impossible to mistake. The baron could scarcely restrain his indignation on hear- ing these details, which gave him so much more profound an insight into the ramifications of the fearful conspiracy. That he and the princess had alike been personated on different occasions was beyond all question, because not for an instant did he believe that her Royal Highness had been guilty of the thing imputed to her. Indeed, so furious was the rage which boiled up in the breast of Bergami that he could scarcely prevent himself from rushing forth and at once surrendering the three sisters, together with Mrs. Ranger, to the authorities of Geneva. But recollecting how necessary it was to adopt the cautious and prudential course recommended by Jocelyn, he put a curb upon his passion and restrained his feelings as well as he was able. He saw plainly enough that Mrs. Hubbard was a dupe and not an accomplice, and that Mrs. Ranger and the Owens had so contrived matters, with the most exquisite refine- ment of satanic ingenuity, as to make her a witness of the supposed guilt of the princess. The baron therefore lost no time in disabusing the woman’s mind. ‘Mrs. Hubbard,’ he said, ‘‘ I came to this apartment under the impression that you were an accomplice in a EGOmMiichdoo ‘Ss (E(0)