The Works of George W. M. Reynolds — page 388: what you’re looking at

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

CHAPTER XXIX THE DENOUEMENT Sir FREDERICK LATHAM rose at an early hour in the morn- ing, after having passed an almost sleepless night, and he immediately sent off one of his domestics on horseback to the residence of the Earl and Countess of Fordwich, to inquire after the health of the latter. It was not that Sir Frederick had the slightest consideration for the health of the countess; his object in sending was to learn by indirect means when his wife Anastatia would be likely to return to Balham Hill, and whether the illness of her mother was of a severity cal- culated to detain her away from her home. Lady Anastatia sent back a note by the domestic, wherein she cordially thanked her husband for his kindness in sending to inquire; she assured him that her mother, having passed a good night, was In a condition that inspired no further apprehension, and that she herself should be at Balham Hill by lunch time at two o’clock. On the receipt of this note Sir Frederick sat down and penned a brief letter to his brother-in-law, Lord Rushbrook, requesting him to call at Tudor House precisely at two o'clock, on business of considerable importance. Having sent off this letter, the City merchant walked forth into his grounds to deliberate again upon the plan which he had settled in his mind during the past night. We should observe that Lord Rushbrook did not reside with his parents, but had apartments in some other fashion- able quarter of the town. He did not know that his sister had passed the night beneath the paternal roof, and therefore instead of repairing thither to accompany her back to Bal- ham Hill, he drove down in his own phaeton. It happened that the viscount’s equipage reached Tudor House only about five minutes before Lady Anastatia herself returned in her 371. CORNICLOOO ‘S (C(O)