The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 128: what you’re looking at

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

THE CATASTROPHE 105 the carpet, and trampled it under foot. Ashamed of him- self, the very next instant, for this impotent manifestation of vindictive fury, the Duke of Marchmont picked the letter up, and prompted by an irresistible feeling of curiosity to see what Bertram could possibly have to adduce in the face of evidence which his Grace regarded as so decisive, he sat down and read the letter through. It consisted chiefly of broken sentences, solemn oaths, sacred adjurations, — all attesting the innocence of the duchess, and there were some incoherent allusions to a long-existing love between them, as well as to a cruel deception practised by her deceased father and Mrs. Bailey in order to make her the duke’s wife, so that a gleam of light began to dawn in unto the compre- hension of Eliza’s husband. “Good heavens!” he said to himself, with a feeling of horror at the lengths to which he had gone, “‘ if it be indeed true that in a moment of weakness, and under the influence of sorrow’s agony at the idea of parting, Bertram should have caught her in his arms, but that she was innocent. Yet no, I cannot think it. I was prepared for protestations of in- nocence, and I even said that the deeper the guilt, the more impassioned its denial. No, no; they are guilty, — this viper of a nephew, that wanton of a woman. But their love of other times, and that deception practised on her — ”’ And the duke was staggered. He pressed his hand to his brow; he would have given worlds to discover that the wife whom he had loved so fondly, and of whom he had been so proud, was really innocent. His soul yearned to think her so; his heart bled at the idea of its possibility, and at his own implacable harshness. An idea struck him. He went forth from the room, and inquired for Lord Clandon, but he was informed that Hugh had gone out a little time previously. Then the duke ordered Jane, her Grace’s principal lady’s- maid, to be sent to him in the drawing-room. During the few minutes which elapsed ere the young woman made her appearance, the Duke of Marchmont composed his looks into an expression of cold and severe dignity, for he was too proud to display before others all he felt. ‘‘ Jane,” he said, as the maid entered the room with a sorrowful countenance, and with the traces of weeping still upon it, “‘ your mistress has taken her departure? ”’ EONMICOOOKS a (C(O)