The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 129: what you’re looking at

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

106 REYNOLDS’ WORKS “Yes, my lord,’ was the response. ‘‘ Her Grace was very, very unhappy — ”’ ‘¢ And whither has she gone? ”’ interrupted the duke. “T know not, my lord.” ‘‘ But the instructions she gave to the coachman? You doubtless attended her to the carriage.”’ ‘* My lord,’ rejoined the maid, tears bursting forth afresh, ‘“ her Grace went away on foot.” ‘““ On foot? ” cried the nobleman, in astonishment. ‘“ Yes, my lord,’’ continued Jane. ‘‘ Her Grace said that she came to you without a carriage, and she would go away as portionless.”’ ‘“ Ah! ’? murmured the duke, and then his eyes were ear- nestly fixed upon the maid, as if his soul experienced an avidity for whatsoever words of explanation might next come from her lips. ‘“ Her Grace called God to witness her innocence,” pro- ceeded the maid. ‘‘ Ah, my lord! it would be a shocking thing to fancy human nature is so bad to take such an oath —’” But the young woman stopped short, for she recollected Mrs. Bailey’s words and manner, and she trembled at the idea of pledging herself to a belief in the innocence of one who might after all be guilty. ‘‘ And what else did the duchess say? ”’ demanded the duke, with the petulance of feverish impatience. ‘‘ Her Grace bade me tell your lordship,’ responded Jane, “that you would find in her writing-desk the several docu- ments to which her letter to your Grace made allusion, — I mean the letter which Lord Clandon was good enough to take in to your Grace.”’ ‘“‘ Ah, that letter! I did not — But no matter,” and the duke hastened abruptly from the room. He ascended to his wife’s boudoir. He found the writing- desk; he knew it to be the one which her father had left behind him, and which he himself had placed in Eliza’s hands a short time after the funeral. It was unlocked, for the duchess had purposely left it so. The duke drew forth its contents, and Bertram’s letters to the late Captain Lacey, which he found therein, gave him a complete insight into all those bygone matters to which his unhappy young nephew’s agitated communication from the village had merely made rapid and almost incoherent allusions. EORNICLIOO KS (E(0)