The Works of George W. M. Reynolds — page 400: what you’re looking at

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

THE BIRTHDAY 380 his rights. Secondly, Edmund himself was in a fever of ec- static joy; his dark crime was for the moment forgotten, and in the secret depths of his heart he was thinking to himself that he should speedily again shake off the yoke which his mother had ever since the date of that foul deed succeeded in reimposing upon him. Thirdly, Juliana looked on with an outward calmness, but with an inward exultation; for she had resolved that, as the price of keeping the tremendous secret with which she was acquainted, she would extort from her mother a concession of a handsome income, which would enable her to prosecute her own pleasures after her own independent fashion. Fourthly, Lord Harold Staunton, who, as the reader is aware, knew nothing at all of the fearful deception which was being practised, had his own pleasur- able feelings; for, what with being Lady Saxondale’s para- mour, and having, as he fancied, obtained immense influence over Edmund, he saw every opportunity of continuing a life of luxurious indolence. Fifthly, Lord Petersfield looked so immensely pompous, and at the same time so awfully grave, that he seemed the very embodiment of the proudest diplo- matic mystery; and if any one at the moment had dared to ask him pointblank whether he were really Lord Peters- field or not, he would doubtless have considered it his duty to fence with the question for at least half an hour ere he an- sweredit. Sixthly, Mr. Marlow was all excitement and bustle, unfolding one paper and rolling up another, making a cor- rection here and a memorandum there, and, in short, ap- pearing as brisk as if he were full of quicksilver. Seventhly, his partner, Mr. Malton, had all the sedate businesslike de- meanour of a shrewd and intelligent practitioner. These seven personages were, as we have said, gathered around the table in the State Drawing-room at about four o'clock on the day of which we are writing. Business was now to be proceeded with, to be followed by a sumptuous banquet, which was ordered for seven o’clock. The attain- ment of a majority under such circumstances, where im- mense estates and revenues were concerned, was a matter _ of such importance as to absorb every other feeling on the part of such men as Petersfield and the lawyers. Thus, though they knew full well that Lady Saxondale and Lord Harold Staunton were much more intimate than they ought to be, though they likewise knew that Juliana’s career had CONNIE DOOlKS (FO)