The Works of George W. M. Reynolds — page 374: 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 357 tion to retire to rest. From their looks did she gather the full confirmation of all her direst terrors and falling at their feet she extended her arms, crying, “‘ Mercy, mefcy! ”’ “ Wretched woman!” exclaimed Bergami, ‘‘ what horrors have you been guilty of! Murderess that you are, what pardon can there be for you? ”’ Mrs. Ranger heard no more, her senses were abandoning her, and with a hollow moan of deepest despair, she sank down in a deathlike swoon. Meanwhile a distressing, oh, a wildly distressing scene had occurred close by. Alarmed along with the rest of the household by the cry of murder which Loftus and Bergam1 had sent forth, Agatha and Julia had issued from their chambers to find that their sister, from whom they had parted but little more than half an hour back in the fulness of vigorous health, was now a lifeless, bleeding corpse. Oh, what ineffable anguish was now experienced by those young women, and how tremendous was the remorse that sprang up in their guilty souls on perceiving at the first glance that one of the very means adopted to achieve the ruin of the princess had rebounded upon their own heads. For they understood it all: their unfortunate sister had been mis- taken for Bergami, and attired in the apparel wherewith she was wont to personate him, had thus met a premature and dreadful death. But we must draw a veil, at least for the present, over the manifold feelings excited by the incidents of this dreadful night. Suffice it to say that the police authorities were immediately fetched from Geneva, that Mrs. Ranger and the three murderers were borne off to prison, and that Agatha and Julia, now in a state bordering upon frenzy, were left at the villa under the surveillance of an officer of justice. CORNICLOO! eS) (C(O) im