The Works of George W. M. Reynolds — page 142: what you’re looking at

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

THE EXPERIMENT 125 miles distant. He reached the hotel where the Marquis and Marchioness of Villebelle were staying, precisely at midday, and having paid his respects to Constance, he took her husband, who was in readiness, away with him. He could not help noticing that when the marquis left his wife, — though it was only for a few hours, — he embraced her, and the spectacle of this connubial bliss caused a pang of remorse to shoot through the heart of the young viscount. He even sighed, and the sound fell not unnoticed upon the ear of his friend, who was secretly rejoiced at this proof that all the better feelings of the viscount’s soul were not com- pletely deadened within him. “You doubtless consider me uxorious to a degree,’ ob- served the marquis, as he took his seat by the side of the viscount in the hackney-coach, which immediately rolled away from the hotel. ‘ But I assured you last night that I regard my wife with the tenderest and sincerest affection.”’ ‘“ And may you always be happy in this love of yours,’’ observed Jules, but afraid that his friend would seize the opportunity to lecture him on his conduct in respect to Stephanie, he hastened to give the conversation a dexterous turn, by observing, “ Ii I mistake not, you told me last night that the marchioness is the daughter of an English peeress named Lady Saxondale? I was not struck by the name at the time, but after you were gone, I bethought myself that it was not altogether unfamiliar to me. Is there not a nobleman of that name? ”’ ‘There is,’ answered Villebelle, in a very serious manner. ‘“ He is my wife’s brother, and I regret to say that he has contracted a most foolish alliance.”’ “ Ah, I remember,’’ ejaculated the viscount, “‘ the Bar- oness de Charlemont. Pardon me for having touched tipon a topic which can be by no means agreeable — ”’ “There is no need for apology, my dear friend,’’ inter- rupted the marquis. ‘ It 1s a circumstance which I deplore on the part of one so nearly connected with my beloved wife, but it is not a topic to be avoided in shame on my own account.” “ Assuredly not,’ responded Chateauneuf. ‘‘ How was it possible that Lord Saxondale could have made such a. match? ”’ “Doubtless he became infatuated with that artful and CONnNIEDOOKS (C(O)