The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 104: what you’re looking at

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

THE SHADY AVENUE 85 my dear nephew, to be the first to congratulate you on your appointment as minister to the court of Florence.” ‘¢ And I, my dear brother,’’ exclaimed Lord Clandon, with every demonstration of pride and joy, “‘ likewise congratu- late you on this distinguished promotion.” Eliza proffered congratulations also, but it was with an almost preterhuman effort that she kept down the flood of feelings which surged up into her very throat. Mrs. Bailey and the other guests followed in the congratulatory strain, but the duchess perceived that it was with a forced ur- banity and a difficultly repressed petulance of impatience that Bertram responded in a suitable and becoming man- ner. ‘‘'You perceive, my dear nephew,’’ resumed the duke, “that your nomination to the Tuscan embassy is accom- panied by the strictest injunctions that you set off for Italy with the least possible delay. Much as I shall be grieved to part with you, I dare not suffer my own selfish feelings to stand in the way of your public duties, To-morrow there- fore, Bertram, you must bid us farewell.” ‘Yes, to-morrow,’’ said the young man, in a voice the strangeness of which was only comprehended by Eliza, unless indeed it was also understood by Lord Clandon, who knew the secret of their love, for Mrs. Bailey was at the moment too busy in the discussion of a piece of perigord pie to take notice of anything else. After breakfast Eliza and Bertram walked forth together in the garden. Mrs. Bailey and the other guests accom- panied Lord Clandon on a visit to the grapery; the Duke of Marchmont retired to the library, to address a letter to the Foreign Secretary thanking that minister for the prompt attention paid to his request on Bertram’s behalf. But on reaching the library, the duke perceived a note lying on the writing-table, addressed to himself. He wondered that it should have been left there, instead of being brought in unto him, as was the custom with all correspondence, the instant of its arrival. It was not a letter with any postmark upon it, and therefore it had not come from any distance. The writing of the address was unknown to the duke, but it occurred to him that it was written in a feigned hand. The writing all sloped backward instead of forward, just as if penned by the left hand instead of. with the right; in Com () LOOKS (EO)