The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 98: what you’re looking at

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

BERTRAM AND ELIZA 79 disengaged her hand, ‘‘ again I ask you what you will do, now that the interview which was inevitable has taken place? You must not remain here.” ‘¢ And I cannot leave all in a moment,”’ quickly responded Vivian. ‘‘ Take my arm, let us slowly return to the man- sion. For a few days, Eliza, must I linger here; it would excite the strangest thoughts if I were to depart precip- itately.”’ ‘‘ And I have been half-afraid, Bertram,’’ murmured the duchess, ‘‘ that strange thoughts have already been excited by your demeanour toward me.” ‘““Oh, I have been half-mad,” he ejaculated. ‘'I have known not what to do. When coldest and most distant toward you, when, believing you wilfully faithless, I have been pointedly frigid and reserved in my manner, my heart was in reality bursting. I could have thrown myself at your feet, imploring your pardon, I could have cried out in the strong voice of my agony, I could have melted into tears and wept like a child. But you ask me what I will do? I will remain yet a few days, until the duke shall have pro- cured for me the promised diplomatic situation in some far-off land, — the farther off, the better, and then, Eliza, we will part — to meet no more.”’ The duchess gave no response. She took Vivian’s arm, and they walked on together through a shady avenue toward the house. She would fain have urged his prompt departure; she trembled lest, after this interview, there should be a change in their demeanour toward each other, so marked and pointed as to excite attention. But how could she express a wish to hurry him away? How could she utter the word which was to make him precipitate the moment when he would bid farewell to her for ever? She could not, she had not the heart to do so; while, on the other hand, she felt so firm in the rectitude of her own principles, so strong in the sense of that duty which she owed to her husband, that she did not even insult herself by thinking of the necessity of avoiding temptation. They entered the mansion, and Eliza at once retired to her own boudoir, there to reflect, in solitude and without restraint, upon all that had taken place, and there, perhaps, to weep likewise over her sad, sad lot which might have been so different. eom () LOOK KS (E(0)