The Works of George W. M. Reynolds — page 367: what you’re looking at

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

BO REYNOLDS’ WORKS known through the newspapers that her late husband, the false Count de Toledo, was none other than the celebrated Spanish bandit Ramon de Collantes, and she therefore came to the conclusion that if it were necessary for her to lead either a life of retirement, cut out from all society, or to live openly with a protector as his mistress, 1t might just as well be in England as elsewhere. ‘The feelings of shame which had at first rendered her so averse to return to her native country at the same time with her mother, and which had so long kept her abroad, were by this time crushed out of her ‘by the various circumstances through which she had passed, and she had ceased to dread a revisit.to the clime of her birth. Besides, it was now close upon the period when Edmund would be of age; and knowing the tremendous secret in respect to his birth, — a secret which she had wormed out of Madge Somers on the midnight visit which she paid to her cottage, as the reader will remember, — she was curious to ascertain whether he would be suffered to take possession of the estates without the slightest whisper of the real truth, and without opposition from any quarter. Of course, Juliana was utterly ignorant that the rightful heir — her own real and actual brother -—— was in existence. She was not therefore aware that there could be any opposition to Edmund’s complete succession; but, as above stated, she still felt curious and interested upon the point. The result of her reflections, as she rode by Forester’s side, was twofold: first, that she would abandon herself to an amour which, whether destined to prove transient or permanent, would necessarily depend upon circumstances, and, secondly, that she would return to England. Forester did not for some time interrupt Juliana’s medita- tions, though he was very far from penetrating into their true nature. He thought that she might possibly experience a certain shock, if not actual grief, at the sudden and violent death of a man who, no matter what his character and calling were, had nevertheless been her husband. But after awhile, Forester broke the silence which had followed their separation from the band of soldiers, and he said, “‘ You are thinking, my fair heroine, of the catastrophe which has taken place? ”’ “ And at which it were a wretched affectation on my part,’’ she rejoined, “‘ to say that I am afflicted.” | CONNIE DOO KS (E(0)