The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 120: what you’re looking at

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

THE AVENGING HUSBAND 97 ‘My letter, Jane?” said the duchess, turning proudly and indignantly away from her relative, and addressing herself to the maid who had followed Mrs. Bailey into the room; “ has it been sent to his Grace? ”’ and now again there was the feverish glitter of suspense in her eyes as she awaited the response. “The duke,’’ Mrs. Bailey hastened to interject, “ posi- tively forbade any one to bring him either letter or message, and he locked himself in a room — ” ‘‘ My letter, Jane? ”’ ejaculated the duchess, now quivering visibly with impatience, but disdaining to take any further notice of Mrs. Bailey, since this lady had shown that she believed in her guilt. ‘Please your Grace,’ answered Jane, ‘“ Lord Clandon kindly took charge of the letter, his lordship was very much affected, and he was closeted with his Grace for nearly a quarter of an hour. But, my lady —”’ “Enough, Jane,’’ said the duchess, her marble features suddenly becoming fixed and rigid in the last stage of despair. ‘J understand you. The duke believes me not. I therefore leave his house at once. But before I go, let me call God to witness that if 1 have been thoughtless, if I have been weak, if I have been imprudent, I have not been guilty.” “* O Eliza — my dear Eliza! ’’ said Mrs. Bailey, still full of a nervous trepidation, ‘‘ pray don’t call God’s name in vain.” ‘““Woman,” ejaculated Eliza, fiercely, as she turned abruptly around upon her relative, ‘‘ do you dare stand forward as my accuser?’ Then, as Mrs. Bailey staggered back, fright- ened and aghast, the duchess went on to say, ‘“‘I will not accept a home from you. You cannot lay your hand upon your heart and say that you are sensible of no wrongs toward me. You know what I mean. I could curse you, were it not that I should involve the memory of my deceased parent in the same frightful malediction. If I were guilty — but God is my witness that I am not — how much of that guilt would be attributable to your detestable machinations! Begone! remain not here another moment in my presence.” Mrs. Bailey — frightened to death lest Eliza should enter into the fullest explanations relative to the past, and thereby seriously compromise her— hurried from the room, and rushed down-stairs in a condition of bewildered terror. | “Where is the duchess? ’’ asked Lord Clandon, but as EONNICLIIOOKS (EO)