The Works of George W. M. Reynolds — page 289: what you’re looking at

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

272 REYNOLDS’ WORKS am well pleased that you thus seem enabled to throw aside old rancours and animosities.’’ ‘““Rancours and animosities!’’ echoed Deveril, with al- most a wild start, as a thousand reminiscences of the past swept through his mind. ‘ Would to Heaven that they had never existed! Would to Heaven that no angry word had ever been breathed from either of us toward each other! ”’ ‘What mean you?’’ asked Lady Saxondale, for a mo- ment smitten with the idea that possibly he had repented of having rejected the overture of her love at the time that it was made, and had now come to fling himself at her feet. ‘What do I mean?”’ he cried, trembling all over with the effect of his emotions, and now the tears likewise trickled down his cheeks. ‘“‘ How can I make the revelation? How will you receive it? Is it possible that nature has no voice on these occasions? No, no, it has not,’ he quickly ejaculated, “or else —”’ But he stopped suddenly short, shocked at that occurrence the recollection of which thus flashed vividly back to his mind; for he meant to have said that if nature had really such a voice, it would have spoken out at the time when that very overture of love itself was made. Lady Saxondale was bewildered by his words and his manner, and yet every fresh step which he advanced along the troubled pathway of his agitated feelings and excited emotions gave additional relief to her soul, for she saw that he came not for the purpose of injuring her. | ‘“‘ Last night,’”’ he said, suddenly forcing himself to be calm, “a strange scene took place at my abode. The house was invaded by ruffians. Fortunately the plot in some of its details was too clumsily managed to succeed, and precautions were taken to frustrate it.”’ ‘A plot?’ said Lady Saxondale, assuming a look of sur- prise and interest. | “Oh, do not tell me that you were a stranger to it,” cried Deveril. ‘‘ Let there henceforth be no deception on your part toward me. If all the past can be forgotten, — as, on my soul, it is forgiven on my side, — we should look each other in face with the frank confidence of other and better feelings.” ‘Tf you wish us to be friends, Mr. Deveril,’’ said her lady- CONNIE OO KS (E(0)