The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 322: what you’re looking at

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

THE MASKED BALL 289 “Oh, if I could be assured of this, how happy, how supremely happy, should I feel! ’’ said Curzon; but in the depths of his soul he silently exclaimed, “ Vile, perfidious Editha! ” “ Do you not believe me then? Do you suppose that I am telling you an untruth? ” and as the veiled lady thus spoke, she pressed the earl’s arm with a kind of convincing tender- ness. ‘‘ If I did not love you, I should take your very mis- trust of me as an insult.”’ “Insult! No, Heaven is my witness that I could not possibly insult you,’’ and Curzon affected an exceeding fer- vour of tone, although still speaking low and murmuringly. ‘And yet the words you uttered ere now would almost have implied the belief,’ rejoined the veiled lady, ‘‘ that there has been levity in my conduct, that I have given the world reason to speak lightly of me, whereas I solemnly declare that never, never was I faithless to my duties as a wife, never, never have I lost sight of the self-respect belong- ing to my position in society. That is to say,” she added, in a scarcely audible tone of tender tremulousness, ‘ until I last night received from you those attentions which made so deep an impression upon my soul.”’ ‘Pardon me, dear lady,” said the earl, “if I continue the discourse for a few moments upon this topic. But as you have given me your love, I wish to be assured that it is a love in which only one other, and that other your husband, has ever shared.”’ “It is so, it is so,’’ said the veiled one; ‘‘ solemnly do I declare it. What possible reason can you have for supposing the contrary? Has the world ever dared to make free with myname? Has the breath of scandal ever been raised against me? Ii so, tell me, that I may justify myself, or explain away any circumstances to which in some unguarded mo- ment my conduct may have imparted an air of levity.” “ And you will not be angry with me if I tell you what the world says? ”’ whispered Curzon, earnestly. “ I will not, I will not,” was the soft and musical response. ‘ Tell me, what says the world of me? ”’ “In the first place, dear lady,”’ proceeded Curzon, “ it has coupled the name of Colonel Malpas with yours — ”’ ‘“ Colonel Malpas!” said the veiled one, with a sudden start which made Curzon feel more than ever convinced that Gomicbdooks (C(O)