The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 76: what you’re looking at

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

BERTRAM VIVIAN 57 beautiful countenance, that the duke felt he must have wronged him with his unfavourable suspicions, while, on the other hand, his favourable conjectures to account for his nephew’s conduct toward the duchess must, after all, be the right ones. The gentlemen rejoined the ladies in the draw- ing-room, where coffee was served around. Bertram leaned against the mantelpiece, at a distance from all the rest, — at intervals silent and abstracted, at others falling with well-bred readiness and intellectual ease into the conversa- tion that was going on. He did not once approach the duchess, he never addressed his observations to her; but then, no one could consider this as extraordinary, inasmuch as his remarks were made generally, and not in reply to the previous observations of any particular individual. Still there was a visible restraint on the part of both Bertram and the duchess, for she never once even so much as turned her eyes upon him; and she also had her intervals of silence and abstraction, which never were perceived before. ‘The suests separated to their respective chambers with the con- viction that Bertram hated the marriage, and that the duchess fathomed his feeling and properly resented it in the way that a well-bred lady could alone exhibit her offended and indignant pride. The Duke of Marchmont, too, again wavered in his opinion, and was again inclined to think that this was the true reading of the mystery. He there- fore said nothing to Eliza on the subject, for fear of wound- ing her feelings; but he secretly resolved that if these scenes were renewed, Bertram’s visit to Oaklands should be cut very speedily short. On the following morning, at breakfast, there was the same cold constraint, the same distant formality, between the duchess and Bertram Vivian. When the amusements of the day were about to be settled, the duchess proposed a riding-party, amongst other recreations, whereupon Bertram, on being invited by the duke to join it, excused himself on the plea of having letters to write. In the afternoon, when there was to be a boating-party on the splendid piece of ornamental water in the neighbourhood of the mansion, Bertram begged to be excused from joining it, as his physi- cian had recommended horse exercise and he could not dis- pense with his daily ride. The guests were astonished. He would not ride when they rode, but he now chose to ride (EONMIE NOOLKS (E(O)