The Works of George W. M. Reynolds — page 161: what you’re looking at

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

144 REYNOLDS’ WORKS pacity, and the only source of cheering thoughts was to be - found in the blandishments of his wife. But even in respect to her, certain cold shuddering alarms would again steal upon him, — the same as those he had experienced when they were at Saxondale House; and as his mind became more and more desponding, those vague apprehensions grew more potent. Thus, by the time two short weeks had elapsed, Hdmund felt that he could endure this monotony of existence no longer. It had already become insupportable. Adelaide, who watched him constantly, failed not to com- _prehend what was passing within him, and she saw that it would be useless for her to endeavour to keep him in that seclusion any longer. Another consultation was accordingly held, and Edmund vowed that he would dare all dangers and go up to London. Adelaide suggested that it would perhaps be more prudent to return to the castle. There they could not possibly be taken by surprise, 1f a good look- out were kept. The domestics of the household were numer- ous, and the emissaries of a mad doctor, instead of accom- plishing their purpose, might be plunged for their plans into the Trent. Besides, Edmund might find amongst the gentry around some little society, for Adelaide thought that, in the country, persons would be less particular than in London, and that the zeal with which English people pay homage to a lord would induce them to turn a deaf ear to any flying rumours which might be in circulation with regard to the said lord’s wife. Moreover, now that the first impressions of alarm in respect to the madhouse had passed away, neither Edmund nor Adelaide much fancied that Lady Saxondale would revert to the same proceeding. At all events, they could be upon their guard, as before said, and one of the first steps to be taken on their return to the castle might be to write a letter to her ladyship, advising her for her own sake to abstain from hostilities in future, unless she wished an open warfare to arise and certain unpleasant revelations to be made in respect to herself. Under all these circumstances, therefore, the result of the consultation was a resolve to retrace their way to Saxon- dale Castle. They set out, they travelled by easy stages, and it was on a dark December evening that they once more crossed the threshold of the castellated mansion. When Edmund again found himself seated in the spacious, hand- CONNIE DOO KS (E(0)