The Works of George W. M. Reynolds — page 125: what you’re looking at

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

108 REYNOLDS’ WORKS What if he were to disguise himself in a far humbler apparel than he was wont to wear, and thus pursue his inquiries and researches in the neighbourhood of her abode? The thought delighted him, there was something in the adventure which tickled his fancy, and he fell into a train of reflections per- fectly consistent with his miserable narrow-mindedness, frivolity, and self-conceit. ‘Tf T assume a humble garb, and throw myself in her way, she cannot fail to see that there is a certain air of distinction beneath the rough apparel, and she may become interested in me. If I bow to her with the greatest respect and seem to treat her with the utmost deference, she will be pleased, and so I shall succeed in attracting her attention. This - little pantomime may last for two or three days, at the end of which she will perhaps speak to me, and so we may form an acquaintance. Then, for another two or three days I can go on thus enchaining her interest more and more, till at last, when opportunity serves, I can throw off the mask, announce my lordly rank, proclaim my noble name, and over- come her with the intelligence that it 1s the head of the house of Saxondale who for her sake put on a humble garb in order to throw himself in her way. She cannot help falling des- perately in love with me, and whatever virtue she may possess will be thawed by so much apparent devotion on my part.” Mightily pleased with the scheme he had thus resolved upon, and the dramatic results to which he had made up his mind it was to lead, Edmund lost no time in putting his most sapient project into execution. It was rather late in the afternoon when he had finally digested all his plan of pro- ceedings, and being Sunday, he did not exactly know where to obtain such a dress as he required. But it struck him that there would be no harm in proceeding at once in his wonted apparel to the neighbourhood of the villa, in order to recon- noitre it from a distance. He need not approach near enough to the windows to be noticed in such a way as to endanger future recognition, and, at the same time, something might be gained and the first step taken by ascertaining the exact whereabouts of the beautiful creature’s abode. He accord- ingly sallied forth, and not choosing to afford any of the domestics the slightest clue as to his proceedings, he did not order either horse or carriage to be prepared for his use on Gomichbooks