The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 210: what you’re looking at

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

ISABELLA AT VERNER HOUSE 183 you remember, it has a large screen drawn before the door, — and I suppose that, though altogether unintentional on my part, | must have opened that door so noiselessly that they did not hear me. I was advancing into the room, but had not at the instant let the door escape from my hand, when I was suddenly transfixed — oh, Christian, I was petrified with horror — on catching the words that were uttered in low, hoarse tones from the lips of each — ”’ ‘The countess and the young earl?” said Christian, as- tounded and horror-stricken by what he thus heard; and then, as a thousand little reminiscences swept like a whirl- wind in upon his brain, he for the first time comprehended the illicit connection which had existed between the Countess of Lascelles and Adolphus. “Yes, I mean that they were talking within the room, hidden from me by the screen, as I also was hidden from them,” continued Isabella, ‘‘ and though their voices were so altered as they spoke, — oh, so altered, — yet did I recog- nize them. And if any further proof were wanting of who the speakers were, I heard them address one another by their Christian names — ”’ “Good heavens! this is dreadful,” said our young hero. “ But what were the words which they spoke on the occa- sion? ”’ “Oh, I can too faithfully repeat them,’ answered the shuddering Isabella, “for at the very instant they were uttered, they seemed to impress themselves with a poignant and acute agony upon my brain, as if seared there with a red- hot iron.” “ This is indeed dreadful,’’ said Christian, whose counte- nance was now as pale as that of Isabella herself. ‘‘ And those words which they spoke — ”’ ““T will tell you,” rejoined the young damsel. “ Lord Osmond —I mean the new Earl of Lascelles, — said to the countess, ‘ Ethel, it is useless for you to persist in this shock- ing falsehood. As I told you on a former occasion when we spoke on the subject, — the first occasion when we met after the dreadful deed, — it was your hand that did it.’ ‘No, Adolphus,’ replied the countess, in a voice as low, deep, and hoarse as his own, ‘ you know that you are giving utterance to an untruth as base as it is cowardly; it was your hand that took the old man’s life, murderer that you are.’ ‘ No,’ re- EOMINGIOOKS (CO)