The Works of George W. M. Reynolds — page 112: what you’re looking at

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

THE WIFE 95 wherein she herself was deficient, so that she might improve according to those finished models. But her endeavours were thrown away, so far as her husband was concerned. ‘Two years had they been married at the time when we introduce them to our reader, and it seemed as if the viscount was thoroughly wearied of his wedded life. Any society was agreeable to him in preference to that of his spouse, and yet he had not as yet treated her with direct unkindness, much less with downright cruelty. But he was indifferent, or perhaps indeed he entertained a stronger feeling in respect to her, — one bordering upon aversion. Sufficiently mag- nanimous, however, to conceal this, he forced himself to treat her with courtesy when they were together, but courtesy from a husband to a wife is a very sorry substitute for the endearments of love. The reader will recollect that we took a temporary leave of Augusta Chesterfield and the Viscount de Chateauneuf, at the moment when the former consented to abandon herself to the latter, and when the young nobleman, full of rapturous delight, snatched her to his breast. A fortnight had now passed since that date, and the viscount was a constant visitor at the Durand’s villa. He passed nearly his whole time with Mrs. Chesterfield; he was infatuated with her. Possession was not accompanied with satiety; on the contrary, it only augmented the vehemence of the passion which he experienced for her. Perhaps the ardour of her own temperament sustained the fiery feelings of sensuous desire which her truly remarkable beauty had in the first instance excited, while her conversation — for she was a highly accomplished and intellectual woman — ren- dered her an agreeable companion. Thus was it that the viscount was never wearied of her society, and he regretted that he could not be entirely with her from morning till night and from night till morning. But he had not as yet thought of perpetrating an abrupt outrage toward his wife by abandoning her altogether, though even this he would assuredly have done if Augusta Chesterfield required him. She however had said nought on the subject, but had rathei acted as if she were anxious to avoid an explosion of scandal as much as possible, and to keep their amour as secret for the present as circumstances would permit. Such, at least, appeared to be her policy. As a matter of course, the CONNIE DOOKS (Cc)