The Works of George W. M. Reynolds — page 366: what you’re looking at

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

LAST ACT OF NIGHT’S TRAGEDY 349 personated the princess in the ermine cloak and the green silk hood, which they had been enabled by their position about the royal person to borrow for the specific occasions when they were used.”’ “Oh, what refinement of atrocious perfidy! ’’ exclaimed the baron, trembling with indignation. ‘Let our consolation be that we have unravelled the com- plicated skein so successfully,” observed Loftus, “ and now it is the last knot which we are about to untie — that is to say, if Emma should really come.”’ “Tam convinced of it,’’ said Bergami, with the same air of confidence as before. ‘‘ That young woman is devoured with insatiable passions; she is a perfect Messalina in her desires. Ah! Mr. Loftus, you can understand me when I assure you that never, never did I do such violence to my feelings in every respect as when affecting to fall into the snare which that siren spread for me. I hated the hypocrisy of the part which I was playing, hated it all the more bitterly because I was compelled to assume the passion of love where I in reality experienced nought but loathing and aversion. For beautiful as that young creature is, yet did her very touch send a cold shudder through me as if from the contact of areptile. At the time that I was playing that hypocritical part and forcing myself to enact the character of a gross sensualist, 1t seemed to me as if J were committing a crime. And then to permit her even for a moment to enfold me in her embrace — O God! it was dreadful!’ and the strong aversion which penetrated through Bergami’s accents and looks showed how really and truly his exalted nature re- coiled from the degrading sensuality belonging to the part which he had enacted. ‘‘ But I had assured you, Mr. Loftus,” he continued, *‘ that I would have recourse to every means in order to further our views, for it was the honour of a persecuted and injured princess that had to be vindicated, and I was therefore prepared to go any lengths and make any sacrifice of my own feeling in order to accomplish that aim. I can assure you, however, it was the martyrdom of all my manly sense of propriety when I allowed myself to be pressed to that luxurious wanton’s bosom. And it is because she is this utter profligate, this lascivious creature that you and I both know her to be, it is for this reason, | say, that she will presently forget all the horrors of the last CORNICLOOL CS (C(O) im