The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 225: what you’re looking at

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

194 THE COURT OF LONDON of his pale but handsome countenance suddenly expressing the most acute horror. “Yes, murdered, foully murdered! ’’ repeated Caroline. *‘T heard the poor infant’s scream penetrating through the furious noises of the night — ”’ “Enough! enough!” cried Eaton, starting from his chair. “Twas my child, the offspring of our love, ay, and of our suilt, but I could have cherished it as fondly as if it were not born in shame. Oh, the foul, foul murderess. Just Heaven! I will show her no mercy now. There have been moments when compassion and pity have well-nigh prompted me to put a seal upon my lips concerning all that I have to tell, and mount the scaffold, or be consigned as a maniac to Beth- lem, so that she might be saved. For I have remembered that I seduced her, that I wronged her, and that it was a woman’s most righteous and most natural vengeance which she sought to wreak upon me. But now, now, that you assure me she is the murderess of her own child — my child — ”’ ‘As there is a God above us, sir, I am telling you the truth! ”’ exclaimed Caroline. ‘‘ Mine was the next room to that which Fernanda occupied at the midwife’s; and I heard enough to afford me a dread insight into the whole appalling tragedy. For the babe, at the very instant of its birth, was flung forth from the window, into the deep and rapid waters of the Thames — ”’ | ‘‘ Just Heaven! did thy thunders sleep that night?” said Eaton, in a tone of mingled solemnity and despair, as he sank back upon the seat whence he had risen a few minutes previously. ‘‘ That Fernanda was cruel, implacable, merci- less, I was, alas! too well aware; but that she was a veritable fiend in human shape, I had yet to learn.” ‘‘ And now, sir, can you not believe that the woman who assented to the murder of her own child,” asked Caroline, ‘is fully capable of putting to death all those who obstruct her path or menace her safety? In a word, is it not probable — is it not certain — that the same hand which assassinated William Dudley inflicted death upon the midwife? Look, listen, and attend carefully! The two crimes were perpe- trated on the same night, both enveloped in a deep mystery, and both flinging their ominous shadows upon innocent persons. Of those innocent persons you are one and I am the other.”’ (E(©) CONNIELNOOLKS