The Works of George W. M. Reynolds — page 317: what you’re looking at

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

300 | REYNOLDS’ WORKS It was late one evening, and just as Juliana was about to retire for the night, that the sounds of an equipage dashing rapidly along the main road, which skirted the front of the garden, reached her ears. There was in this nothing ex- traordinary, inasmuch as it was one of the routes from Perpignan to Paris, and therefore the passage of vehicles was by no means unfrequent. But scarcely had this equipage reached the border of the grounds attached to the cottage when a tremendous crash was heard by all the inmates of the dwelling. They rushed forth; the horses were plunging, the postilions were shouting and swearing, and the vehicle itself, which was a handsome travelling-carriage, lay upset in the middle of the road. A valet and lady’s-maid who had been riding in the rumble behind were precipitated from their places. Fortunately, however, they had fallen upon a bank of long grass by the roadside, and were therefore little hurt. But what was the astonishment — and for a moment what the dismay of Juliana — when, as she hurried forth from the cottage with her domestics, to render assistance, she recognized in that lady’s-maid the faithful Mary-Anne, the dependent of her sister Constance. It was a beautiful night, and the heavens were studded with stars. Searcely therefore had Juliana reached the garden gate, when she made this recognition, as the valet, a smart Frenchman, was supporting Mary-Anne in his arms, and questioning her in broken English, as well as with much anxiety of mind, whether she were hurt. A glance from the lady’s-maid to the carriage showed Julana the form of the Marquis of Villebelle, who had just emerged from the upset vehicle, and was drawing Constance forth. Juliana hastened to make herself known to the marquis, and the next moment she was clasped fondly and fervently in the arms of her sister Constance, who had escaped without the slightest injury from the accident. As infinite as was the joy, so great was evidently the astonishment likewise of Constance in thus encountering her sister; and a rapid interchange of obser- vations made the marquis and marchioness aware, on the one hand, that Juliana was married to the Count de Toledo, and informed Juliana herself, on the other hand, that the letters she had written to her sister had never reached their destination. One of the axletrees of the carriage was broken, and a ha CONNIE DOO KS (E(0) m