The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 47: what you’re looking at

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

28 REYNOLDS’ WORKS sweet amiability, ‘‘ that is consistent with your will and pleasure can be objectionable to me.”’ ‘Thanks, my sweet Eliza, for that response,’’ and her husband pressed her hand to his lips. ‘“‘ In due time you will be introduced to the other members of the family, or, rather, they will be presented to you, and then we will have a gay company at Oaklands. Your father and Mrs. Bailey shall join us, and my own sweet Eliza shall do the honours of the house of which I am proud and happy to make her the mistress.” The duchess gave a suitable response, and as the journey was continued, the discourse was continued also, but nothing more was said by the duke to put his bride’s fortitude and presence of mind to the test. Yet Oaklands — that name of Oaklands — kept agitating in her brain. She longed to ask her husband how it was that this estate had fallen into his possession, but she dared not; and as he said nought upon the subject, she supposed he either took it for granted that she was already informed thereon, or else that he considered it to be a matter of but little moment. After a four hours’ rapid drive, the duke informed Eliza that they were now entering upon the estate, and in another half-hour an antique edifice, appearing above the em- bowering groves, broke upon the view. This was Oaklands. And she was about to set foot within those walls, to tread where Bertram had trodden, to sit where he had sat, to gaze upon objects which were familiar to him in his lifetime. As the equipage dashed along a noble sweep of carriage-way through a vast and superbly wooded park, she thought to herself that every tree which reared its stately head there had been known to Bertram, that she was now passing amongst scenes where he also had passed, she was breathing, as it were, the very air which he had breathed. It was sufficient to resuscitate all the anguish of her affliction for his loss; it was enough to overpower her with irresistible emo- tions. But her soul was nerved with a preterhuman forti- tude, and however much she might have felt internally her pale countenance betrayed nothing of all this. The equipage dashed up to the front of the splendid mansion, and troops of domestics came forth from the hall to welcome their ducal master and his lovely bride. She ascended to a chamber to change her dress, and perhaps if Gomicbooks (E(0)