Penny Blood Serial Fiction — page 254: what you’re looking at

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

THE RETREAT.IN WALES 237 ‘‘ Oh, the monsters to whom the welfare of these dear children was entrusted! Oh, that miscreant Everton! Shall they, after all, be suffered to escape condign punishment? Or shall not a terrific vengeance alight upon their heads? But no, no; there are a thousand considerations — I must calm my- self —I must compose these wildly agitated feelings of mine.” Thus speaking, Lord Hagledean resumed his seat, and giv- ing his hand to Mrs. Jameson, he said, in an altered voice, — a voice full of solemn emotion, — ‘‘ You have been a kind and faithful friend to your mistress; accept my heartfelt eratitude.”’ “Oh, my lord,” she replied, the tears still streaming down her cheeks, ‘“‘ you know not what happiness you have im- parted to my soul! And what happiness, too, is now in store for her ladyship. But let us hasten to discourse on those subjects which require mutual explanation, for I long — oh, I long — to be enabled to go and commence breaking to my dear mistress all the joyous intelligence that I shall have to impart.’’ “Tn respect to my beloved children, Elizabeth and Frank,”’ said the marquis, “I need not tell you that now they are under my care, they are amply and richly provided for; but the fortunes that I settled upon them upwards of sixteen years ago have been seli-appropriated by those villains Petersfield and Marston.”’ . ‘“ Heavens, her ladyship’s own brother!’ ejaculated the housekeeper. ‘ And it is false, then, that Elizabeth has led an evil life, that she ran away from her husband, the Marquis of Villebelle, with a paramour.”’ “All false — all diabolically false!’’ exclaimed the mar- quis. Then, in a graver tone, he added, ‘“ It is my firm conviction that no female in the land can boast herself more pure, more chaste, than my daughter Elizabeth. I have not time now to enter into details; suffice it for me to tell you that her marriage with the Marquis of Villebelle was a mockery, — a marriage into which she was coerced by the villain Marston, a marriage that was never consummated, and one which would not hold good according to the English law. As for Frank, Lord Petersfield procured him a situa- tion, a menial one, at court. It was so easy for a peer of the realm thus to dispose of a youth whom he had _ basely ECORVICLOOO CS (EO)