The Works of George W. M. Reynolds — page 331: what you’re looking at

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

314 THE COURT OF LONDON “Then, if Emma will see you, Colonel Malpas,” said Agatha, anxious to put an end to the present scene, ‘‘ she also shall write to you. What is your address? ”’ ‘ By a coincidence,’ answered the colonel, ‘‘ I also have taken up my abode at the Hotel Royal. I only arrived within this hour at Geneva, and at once strolled down hither in the hope, and almost with the presentiment — ”’ ‘Well, but what name do you bear at the Hotel Royal? ”’ asked Agatha, somewhat impatiently. ‘My own name, that of Malpas,” was the reply. ‘‘ But pray do your best for me with your charming sister Emma.”’ ‘“We shall see,’’ rejoined Agatha. ‘‘ Good evening, Colonel Malpas; good evening, my lord,’ and taking Julia’s hand, she turned abruptly away from the nobleman and the colonel. | But as Julia accompanied her, she threw a quick and scarcely perceptible glance at Curzon over her shoulder, a glance which nevertheless conveyed hope and promise. The two girls passed quickly away from the vicinage of the jetty, once more proceeding along the bank in the direction which they had ere now pursued with Bergami and their sister. When near the clump of trees they encounterec! Emma, who was coming to meet them, and all three hastened by the shortest cut back to the villa. Meantime the Earl of Curzon and Colonel Malpas stood gazing for upwards of a minute on the retreating forms of Agatha and Julia until they were at some considerable dis- tance, and then, averting their eyes, they threw their looks upon each other. It was evident that for the moment Curzon knew not exactly how to treat Malpas, and that the colonel, on the other hand, was equally uncertain on what ground to consider himself standing with regard to the earl, the scene at Lausanne being naturally uppermost in the mind of each, — that scene in which they had mutually forced the revelation of secrets at the pistol’s muzzle. “So we meet again,’’ said Curzon, at length breaking silence. Then bursting out into a laugh that was partly real and partly forced, he cried, ‘‘ Well, upon my word, there 1s something uncommonly ludicrous in all this.”’ “And awkward, too,” said Malpas, also laughing, for he would much sooner be on good than on bad terms with the earl. EORMICLIOO KS (E(0)