The Works of George W. M. Reynolds — page 344: what you’re looking at

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

FRESH SCENES AT THE JETTY wat settle on the surface of the lake, and had not sufficiently expanded to mar the clear view of heaven above. The earl and Malpas walked to and fro in the immediate vicinity of the jetty, impregnating the air with the smoke of their cigars and speaking but little. They were not kept waiting beyond the time mentioned in the note, for scarcely had the clock towers chimed the half-hour when two female figures, closely veiled, passed suddenly around the massive woodwork forming the commencement of the pier, and accosted the two loungers. | ‘Ah! this is indeed kind of you,” said Curzon, as one of the ladies immediately took him by the arm and began to draw him away from his companion Malpas, on whose arm the other lady fastened herself in a similar manner. Curzon took the hand which rested upon his arm, and pressed it tenderly, at the same time observing, ‘‘ Will you not raise your veil? Am I not to be permitted one kiss, Julia, one single kiss, after this absence? Or, at all events, may I not claim it as the reward for having come back to you? What! no answer? And yet methought that when you looked back at me for a single moment this evening, as you turned abruptly away with your sister Agatha, there was forgiveness in those sweet eyes of thine. But I suppose,” continued the earl, after having vainly paused for nearly a minute to see whether his fair one would vouchsafe a reply, ‘that you feel yourself so deeply offended that you must have an explanation before you confer the slightest favour. Is it so, Julia? Come, speak, speak! ”’ While the earl was thus addressing his female companion, who was both cloaked and veiled, she had led him around the piles of the jetty, so that they were now upon the oppo- site side from that where they had first met; or, to make the matter still more intelligible to the reader, we may observe that Malpas and his companion had remained on one side of the pier, while Curzon and his fair one had gone around to the other. | ‘Come now,’’ resumed the earl, having a second time paused to see whether any answer would be vouchsafed, “this silence is ridiculous, this affectation most absurd. I thought that I should find you in a better mood, Julia. I did not think you could shut yourself up in a sullenness like this. Well, if you will not answer me, I must endeavour to GOmMiicdoo! “S$ (C(O) im