The Works of George W. M. Reynolds — page 278: what you’re looking at

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

THE RIGHTFUL HEIR OF SAXONDALE 261 the marquis, ‘‘ that you are acquainted with the secret of your birth? ” ‘Yes, assuredly,’ answered Deveril, “‘ because it is evi- dent that she fears the revelation which the invalid woman has made to us.”’ ‘And perhaps, in her desperation,’ added the marquis, ‘‘ when she finds that to-night’s plot has so signally failed, — a plot to the carrying out of which there can be no doubt she instigated my wretched nephew, — she will adopt some ex- treme measure to take the very life of Madge Somers. Have I not now expressed the motives which influence you, when you say that you will see your mother and inform her that you are acquainted with the mystery of your birth? ”’ ‘Yes, those are the paramount motives,” responded our hero. ‘‘ But I am likewise desirous to relieve her mind from the terrible anxiety into which it must be plunged on account of this tremendous secret which she knows full well the woman Somers would sooner or later reveal. Moreover, you can full well comprehend, my dear marquis, that it will be to me a source of satisfaction to tell my mother that I forgive her for all the past, to endeavour to move her to at least some little display of parental affection — ”’ But here Deveril suddenly stopped short and became pale as death, for the remembrance flashed to his mind, ac- companied by a sickening sensation, that his own mother had at one time made to him overtures of love, a love which, had he yielded to the temptation, would have been horrible to think of. “Let not that circumstance trouble you, my young friend,’ said the marquis, in a kind and soothing manner, for he full easily penetrated what was passing in William’s mind. ‘ No, let it not trouble you more than it has hereto- fore done; for your mother of course knew not at the time that you were her own son. Indeed, there is no reason to believe that she knows it now, inasmuch as her measures have been taken to prevent Madge Somers from revealing to any one the secret which she — your mother — deems and hopes to be still a secret locked up in that woman’s heart. But we must hasten back to the other room, where our prolonged absence has doubtless already created much astonishment, perhaps uneasiness.”’ ‘‘ And your lordship,” said Deveril, ‘‘ will suffer those two y] ) CONnNICDOOKS (S(O)