Penny Blood Serial Fiction — page 195: what you’re looking at

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

178 REYNOLDS’ WORKS gentleman was unmarried, — of moderate fortune, and sup- posed to be of rather unsteady habits. Rumour had indeed whispered that he was dissipated and addicted to the gambling-table, but nothing positive was known on these points. In the world he passed for an honourable man, and on account of his social position, he moved in the highest circles. His sister-in-law had never liked him; she often spoke of him with aversion to the Marquis of Eagledean; but as her husband’s brother, she was forced to receive his visits with a becoming courtesy. Besides, Lord Everton, previous to leaving England to assume his military command in India, had requested his brother to visit the Park and the other estates from time to time, to assure himself that the stewards and bailiffs performed their duty. ‘To resume the thread of my narrative, I must state that one day — shortly after the correspondence of which I have spoken between Alexandrina and the Marquis of Eagledean — her ladyship was seated in the drawing-room at the Park, her brother, her brother-in-law, and Lord Petersfield being present at the time. Lady Petersfield and Lady Marston, as it appeared, were out riding or walking together, with little Adolphus. The conversation in the drawing-room turned upon the expected arrival of Lord Everton, who was to be in England in the course of a few months. Lord Petersfield — who then possessed a far more courtly affability than has characterized him of late years, since he entered a diplomatic career and assumed its solemn aspect and its studied reserve — expatiated upon what he regarded, or pretended to regard, as the delight and joy with which her ladyship would welcome her husband home after his long absence. Poor Alexandrina felt deeply dis- tressed. No doubt —and it was natural enough — she was smitten with horror and remorse for her past conduct, and experienced a guilty dread at meeting the husband to whom she had proved unfaithful. In short she was so com- pletely overcome by her feelings that she fell back in a sudden swoon. Her brother, Sir John Marston, hastily snatched up a decanter of water, and sprinkled some upon her counte- nance, while Lord Petersfield and Mr. Everton tore at the bells to summon assistance. But ere any of her ladyship’s female dependents had time to reach the room, she began to return to consciousness; and in the dimness and confusion Gomicbooks: co