The Works of George W. M. Reynolds — page 43: what you’re looking at

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

26 THE COURT OF LONDON As he gave utterance to the concluding words of his speech, Lord Curzon took the pistols in his hands with a threatening demeanour; and then followed a scene of deep degradation, utter humiliation, and dastard compromise on the part of Colonel Malpas. He did indeed reveal every- thing, entering into the minutest details of his connection with the Countess of Curzon, confessing how Lady Lech- mere’s agency and Gertrude’s artifice had served the progress of their intrigue, how Editha had given him the forged bills, how he had led her to explain the whole transaction at Mrs. Gale’s house of infamy, while Emmerson was an unseen listener, and how, after his imprisonment in the King’s Bench, his threats of exposure had extorted the sum neces- sary for his release. In a word, all those particulars which are so well known to the reader in respect to the colonel’s amour with the Countess of Curzon were now revealed by the craven wretch. The earl listened calmly and tranquilly, putting frequent leading questions when Malpas hesitated, or actually dragging forth the replies when, through very shame or fear, he occasionally stopped short. Some further conversation took place between the earl and the colonel, but which we need not now pause to relate. Suffice it to say that Lord Curzon was himself surprised at the comparative ease with which he had thus succeeded in working upon the fears of the dastard Malpas, and this circumstance suddenly prompted him to make a further use of the cowardly fellow’s present ductility of humour. In fact, the earl had a certain lingering sentiment of curiosity to gratify, and it was natural enough that he should avail himself of the influence he had acquired over the colonel’s fears in order to satisfy himself on this one remaining point. ‘We have now said all that we need say,’”’ he observed, ‘relative to the worthless woman who bears the title of my wife.’’ Then assuming the sternest expression of coun- tenance and pointing both the pistols direct at Malpas, he said, ‘‘ Now tell me, — and beware how you give utterance to a falsehood, — tell me I say, by what means you made your peace with Lady Sackville, who at one time was so terribly embittered against you.”’ ‘On issuing from prison,”’ replied Malpas, grovelling like a coward in the presence of those pistols, the muzzles of ECORNIELIOO KS, (EC) im