The Works of George W. M. Reynolds — page 339: what you’re looking at

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

O22 THE COURT OF LONDON do. And now prepare yourself, Agatha, prepare yourself, I say,’’ she repeated, in a deep voice and with an ominous look, ‘‘ to hear the resolve, the last resolve to which I have come, a resolve which jis fixed and whence there shall be no retreat.”’ “And that resolve?” asked Agatha, shudderingly. ‘It is,” returned Mrs. Ranger, fixing her eyes with reptile- like glare upon the young lady, “ that unless Loftus posi- tively and actually, of his own accord, proclaims his for- eiveness of you this night, you must withhold the word from Maravelli’s ear that will spare his and Lady Prescott’s life. You must let the physician do the work of death ac- cording to his promise, and then Bergami must die also.” “But Emma?’ interrupted Agatha, in a thick and scarcely audible voice, ‘‘ will she consent to this? Or will she not, in her vanity, her infatuation, or whatever it may be, insist that Bergami shall live, for her to try her seductive arts upon him? ”’ “Foolish girl that you dre!’’ said Mrs. Ranger, “‘ can you not understand that Emma must be kept ignorant of this feature of our proceedings? ”’ ‘Oh, yes, I understand you now,” said Agatha, shudder- ing again. “‘ Would to God that I also were ignorant — ”’ ‘Cease this pining and whining,” interrupted Mrs. Ran- ger, Sharply. “ It is not your hand that will do these deeds, nor will suspicion fall upon us. Let Maravelli work, on the one hand, with his subtle poisons; I, on the other, will go and seek those instruments of crime, Kobolt and his gang, whom this night I will introduce secretly and stealthily into the villa. They shall hide themselves in my room until you return from Maravelli’s. Then if you tell me that your interview with Loftus has been of a satisfactory character and that you have spoken the word to Maravelli to spare him and Lady Prescott, then, I say, may Bergami be spared- also, and Kobolt with his comrades may go about their business. But if, on the other hand, on your return from Maravell’s you tell me that the word has not been spoken, but that Loftus and Lady Prescott will die, then must Ber- gami die also. Kobolt and his gang will do the work, and ere they quit his room, to which I myself will conduct them, they in their experience of such matters shall give it the aspect of having been entered for the sake of plunder — ”’ CORMICELACC) Ss (E(0) im