The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 124: what you’re looking at

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

THE AVENGING HUSBAND 101 In the midst of these whisperings, Lord Clandon entered the drawing-room, and the guests perceived at once by his countenance that something terribly decisive had taken place. He expressed his regret that anything should have occurred to mar the pleasure which had hitherto prevailed at the mansion, and he delicately yet plainly intimated that an irreparable breach had arisen between his uncle and the duchess, that the latter had left the mansion, and that the former, overwhelmed with affliction, had shut himself up in the solitude of his apartment. The guests longed to hear more explicit details, but good taste prevented them from putting any questions, and they now saw that there was nothing for them to do but to order their carriages and separate to their respective homes. As a matter of courtesy, Lord Clandon requested them to wait for dinner, which would be shortly served up, but this, under the circumstances, was a mere ceremonial act of politeness, which was of course declined. Immediate orders were issued to have trunks packed up and carriages gotten in readiness. The commands were promptly obeyed, and by seven o’clock on this mem- orable evening the guests had all taken their depar- ture. . Lord Clandon now hurried off toward the village where he had promised to meet his brother, and which was about a mile distant. Less than a quarter of an hour’s rapid walk brought him to the tavern in the village, and on inquiring for the Honourable Mr. Bertram Vivian, he was at once shown into the little parlour where his brother, with feverish anxiety and harrowing suspense, was awaiting his arrival. Very nearly three hours had elapsed since they parted in the grounds of the mansion, and when Bertram so passionately implored Hugh to hasten away and assure their uncle of his wife’s innocence. During this interval, which had seemed an entire age, the unfortunate Bertram had endured agonies of mind which, if spread over whole centuries, and portioned out as the lot of millions of human beings, would even thus in each infinitesimal part have been excruciatingly intoler- able, but which, when condensed into the space of three hours, and aggregated as the burden which a single individual had to bear, were overpowering and soul-crushing beyond the capacity of language to describe. The first glance which Lord Clandon threw upon his brother, as he entered the little EORNICLIIOOKS (E(0)