The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 132: what you’re looking at

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

THE CATASTROPHE 109 To no hearts did this announcement carry a more real joy than to those of the two lady’s-maids; and Jane, embracing her fellow servant, murmured, with tears of happiness streaming down her cheeks, “ She will return to us, — our beloved mistress will return to us. God forgive me for having suspected her.”’’ | All the male servants of the household sallied forth, and dispersed themselves about in every direction, in search of the duchess. Lord Clandon likewise hastened on the mission, vowing that he would add fifty guineas to the sum already promised by his uncle as the reward of the successful searcher. The shades of evening had already begun to gather over the earth before this expedition was undertaken, but when night came, the moon appeared upon the canopy of heaven, in company with myriads of glimmering stars. Hours passed, but no one returned from the search until after midnight. Then, one by one, the domestics began to re- appear at Oaklands, and each successive arrival was accom- panied by the announcement of non-success. It was near one o’clock in the morning when Lord Clandon came back; he likewise had to intimate failure. He inquired for the duke, but his Grace had not yet reappeared, and Lord Clandon resolved to sit up for his return. | It was one o’clock when the Duke of Marchmont, followed by his faithful dog, reached his mansion again. His inquiries had been as fruitless as those of all the others; indeed not the slightest intelligence was obtained by any one relative to the duchess. A horrible idea seemed to pervade the generality of the household, — to the effect that she had committed suicide, but no one ventured to breathe such a surmise to the duke, and it did not appear that he enter- tained it. Perchance he knew Eliza’s natural firmness of character too well, to suspect for a moment that she could have perpetrated self-destruction, especially because, if really innocent, — as he now felt convinced she was, — she would cling to existence in the hope that her guiltlessness might be made apparent and the stain wiped away from her character. “T shall go forth again,” said the duke to his domestics, who were assembled in the hall. ‘‘ My weary limbs shall not press a couch this night, unless I obtain some clue to the retreat of the duchess.”’ EORNICLIIOOKS (E(0)