The Works of George W. M. Reynolds — page 74: what you’re looking at

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

THE APPOINTMENT 57 herself to that pitiless soldier-judge. It is however recorded that Kirke — a vile traitor to his pledge, and inspired with the cruelty of a fiend — opened his casement in the morning, and showed the dishonoured sister the corpse of her brother suspended to a tree at a little distance. Now, your Excel- lency must understand me well —”’ ‘’ What, do you believe me capable of such diabolic perfidy as that? ’’ ejaculated the minister. “T have a right to guard against it,’ responded Kate, calmly and firmly. ‘‘ Give me now a written acknowledg- ment signed by your own hand, sealed with your own seal, an acknowledgment which I shall bear away with me, that on certain conditions to be fulfilled to-night, the full and complete pardon of Edward Russell is to be placed in my possession. ‘To-morrow I will remit you, by messenger or post, the acknowledgment you are about to sign.”’ “ Ah, but you will use it to wreak a vengeance upon me? ”’ cried the minister, almost astounded at the demand. “Think you that if I gain my end, namely, the salvation of my lover,’’ asked Kate, “‘ I shall be willing to take a step which, by giving publicity to the whole dread and infamous transaction, would make known my shame to the world? No, sir; I should be but too anxious for the secret to be religiously kept. But if, on the other hand, you deceive me in respect to the pardon, then should I scatter all other considerations to the wind, and the idea of vengeance be- coming paramount, I should proclaim all my wrongs, because when once that vengeance had been wreaked, I myself should have no longer a single tie to bind me to existence. I should perish, and in self-destruction throw off the coil of shame.’’ The Minister of the Interior perceived nothing unreason- able in all this. On the contrary, he merely beheld therein the natural precaution which a woman was likely to take when having to deal with a person of unscrupulous character. For his Excellency knew full well that such was his charac- ter, and that in such a light it must be viewed by Miss Marshall. But on this score he was altogether indifferent; he considered himself to have risen by his own talents and intrigues high above the opinion of the world at large, and consequently to place him in total independence of the Opinion of an individual. He was infatuated with Miss Marshall’s beauty. Possessed of the strongest passions, CONNIE DOOKS (FO)