The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 103: what you’re looking at

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

84 REYNOLDS’ WORKS the first few days of the young man’s presence at Oaklands, he had seen what he thought to be the demonstrations of positive aversion toward each other. Now, therefore, that he saw their manner mutually changed, he rejoiced to think that they had got upon a more friendly footing, and he said to himself, ‘‘ Eliza is making atonement for her chilling inhospitality of the first ten days, and Bertram, with a chivalrous magnanimity, is doing his best to convince her that her former conduct is forgotten and forgiven. Hugh certainly gave me the best possible advice, and I wronged poor Bertram when I attributed the frigid reserve of his demeanour to an ungenerous aversion to the alliance which I have formed.” Thus, we say, did a week pass from the date of that inter- view in which Bertram and Eliza gave mutual explanations, and passed through such an ordeal of rending, agonizing emotions. This week flew rapidly away in the estimation of the two lovers, for such indeed they were. They both felt that it was wrong to be so much together, dangerous to what little remained of their wrecked happiness, if not dangerous to their virtue. Yet by an irresistible attraction were they brought together again and again, and each successive day beheld them more and more in each other’s society. This was at least some happiness for them; it was another dream in which they were to a certain extent cradled, but a dream to the waking up from which they neither dared to look forward. At length, however, they were startled from this dream, as rudely as a loud clanging bell smites upon the ear of a sleeper, and they were startled up, too, unto a sense of anguish as acute as that which the doomed one feels when awakened by the striking of the clock which tells him that in another hour he is to die. One morning, when the letters and newspapers were placed upon the breakfast-table, by the Duke of March- mont’s side, there was one document amongst the missives which the experienced eye of Bertram at once recognized as a despatch from the Foreign Office; and the quick glance which he threw upon the duchess made her likewise aware that something might now be expected, — something that should decreé the doom of separation. The duke took up the packet, opened it, read it, and then, extending his hand to Bertram, said with a smiling countenance, “‘ Permit me, Gomichbooks (E(0)