The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 326: what you’re looking at

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

CHAPTER XXXI THE FORGED LETTER THE whole scene which took place at the foot of the stair- case, as just described, scarcely occupied a couple of minutes, even including the little episode which the sudden appearance of Editha introduced into the drama. While she was pouring forth her bitter invectives and bending the lightnings of her looks upon her husband and Lady Prescott, these two were rendered utterly speechless by the abruptness and also by the nature of the scene. The earl saw in a moment that he was the dupe of a new stratagem on the part of his wife, and that when he assumed the character of the Cavalier so as to personate Lord Sackville, she by some means dis- covered his intent, and had turned the tables upon him. Thus was it that, through mingled astonishment and mortifi- cation, he lost all his presence of mind, and remained with paralyzed faculties, like a guilty man in the presence of a wife who seemed suddenly to acquire the right of performing the part of an outraged woman. As for Lady Prescott, she had all along believed that she. was to meet Lord Curzon, and that he would be in the dress. of a Cavalier. The conversation between them had taken a turn which she certainly thought extraordinary; and the reader has seen how strong were her feelings when accused of intriguing with Colonel Malpas, whom she only knew by sight, and with Mr. Emmerson, whom she had never seen in her life. But when the earl had put to her the question concern- ing her husband, — that husband who had been dead for two years, — it naturally struck the lady that there was either some fearful mistake, or else that she was being made the victim of a wanton insult. Then, as the earl revealed his countenance, she of course was not surprised to behold the 293 Gomicbooks (E(0)