The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 394: what you’re looking at

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

CHAPTER XXXIX THE SNAKE WITH THE LOVELY SKIN It was on the same day and about the same hour when the tragedy took place in Windsor Park that Lord and Lady Holderness were engaged in deep consultation together at their mansion in Cavendish Square. ) They were seated together upon a sofa in the drawing- room, and Fernanda held a newspaper in her hand. Her countenance expressed mingled hardihood and triumph; but on the features of her husband might be traced a certain degree of uneasiness which he was evidently struggling to subdue. For the nobleman was afraid of his young, fiery, and impetuous wife. He dreaded her scorn and contempt even more than he feared her anger and her revilings; and having suffered her to plunge him into the deepest abysm of turpitude, he clung to her as it were with a childish reliance for solace and reassurance amidst the terrors that haunted him night and day. “ Well, Walter, are you not satisfied with my reasoning? ”’ she suddenly exclaimed, after a long pause; and as she spoke’ she bent her violet eyes upon her husband with an expression of mingled annoyance and contemptuous pity. ‘ Your countenance is still gloomy, there is uneasiness depicted upon your features — ”’ “Do not upbraid me, Fernanda,” interrupted Lord Holderness, in a voice of earnest entreaty. ‘‘ I cannot help it if I still experience some little nervousness; but in a few days — when the storm has completely blown over — you Shall find me as gay and happy again as ever I can possibly be in this world.” ‘“ Why do you persist in speaking of a storm? ’”? demanded Fernanda, impatiently. 363 GomiilGoaooks (C(O)