The Works of George W. M. Reynolds — page 89: what you’re looking at

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

42 REYNOLDS’ WORKS it with her kisses and her tears. The lady who brought this gladdening intelligence likewise wept. It was a touching scene — full of an exquisite pathos — as the minister’s wife, compelling Kate Marshall to rise, once more strained her in her arms. “IT cannot regret,’ said the lady, “‘ anything that has taken place, inasmuch as I feel assured it has given me back a husband, and that husband an altered and better man.”’ “To you, dear lady,” answered Kate, smiling through her tears, ‘‘is the gratitude of all the rest of my existence due, — not only my gratitude, but that of him whose life is saved through your kindness. Ah! now I bethink me, you spoke of certain information which you required, and I am at no loss to conjecture what it is. My papers were seized, with the idea that your husband’s written undertaking would be found amongst them, and it was not. No, I sent it away for a certain purpose, which I will explain — But fear not, dear lady! It will fall into the hands of a kind friend of mine, and no use will be made of it prejudicial to your husband’s interests.’’ “Thanks, a thousand thanks for that assurance,” an- swered the minister’s wife; “ you have relieved my mind from an immense load. For although I felt confident you would do nothing that should in any way violate the compact which was made between us, to the effect that 1f your aims were accomplished through my agency you would spare my husband from the chance of exposure, nevertheless I feared that it might be possible for that document to fall into other hands less scrupulous and less generous than your own.” ‘“‘ Listen, dear lady,’ answered Kate, “‘ while I give you a few words of explanation. I have already spoken to you of that Count Christoval from whom I have received so much kindness, and through whose intervention the captain- general of Catalonia suspended the extreme sentence of the law. The count, as you are aware, still remains at Barce- lona, in order to continue his generous services until the best or the worst being known, there should no longer exist a need for them. When you left me at the hotel this afternoon, I sat down to pen a few lines to Count Christoval, — not to make him aware of what was going on, but merely to give him to understand that within a few hours the question would be decided whether Edward Russell was to be par- (E(@) m CONNIE DOO KS