The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 70: what you’re looking at

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

BERTRAM VIVIAN — o1 herself; and she saw, too, that notwithstanding his air of outward composure, there was something about him almost bordering upon terror which her eye alone could detect. Doubtless he feared lest all in a moment the adamantine bonds of tensely nerved prudence and preterhuman self- control wherewith he and she had fortified themselves should he snapped asunder, as Samson broke the Philistine bonds, and that there might ensue a wild scene of agony, flooding tears, and convulsive sobs, in which they would both be lost. But when Bertram beheld her so completely the mistress of herself, that feeling of terror passed away in an instant, and with a coldly courteous dignity he returned her salu- tation. ‘‘ Bertram, my dear nephew,” exclaimed the duke, hasten- ing to embrace him, ‘“‘ welcome to Oaklands! Welcome — doubly welcome — all the more that I have not seen you since that shocking but false report of your loss — But, Eliza dearest, you must at least give my younger nephew as kind a greeting as you bestowed upon the elder one when first you met a year back.” For the duke remembered that when Eliza and Lord Clandon had thus met, she graciously proffered him her hand, giving him at the same time words of welcome. But now to Bertram no hand was stretched forth, no syllable was spoken. ‘“‘ Welcome to Oaklands, Mr. Vivian,” said Eliza, in a voice which he knew to be unnaturally calm, but which struck the duke as only being strangely and unaccountably chilling; at the same time she proffered her hand, which Bertram just held for a moment. Again had a revulsion of feeling taken place within her, she was again all marble, and it was a hand cold as that of the dead which Bertram thus touched. ‘““ And so, my dear nephew,” said the duke, ‘‘ you only returned from St. Petersburg a few days back? By the bye, how was it that when you came from the United States, last June twelvemonth, you did not take London in your way to see your relatives and your friends, ere proceeding to St. . Petersburg? ”’ ‘“‘ You are aware, uncle,’”’ responded Bertram, “‘ that when I obtained leave of absence from my post in America, it was my purpose to pass a few months in England. But on arriv- (E(0) (EONMICLIOO KS