The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 219: what you’re looking at

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

192 REYNOLDS’ WORKS asked the valet, — “locking doors, looking behind cur- tains — ” ‘““ Because,’ interrupted the Earl of Lascelles, and he spoke with a kind of haughty composure, ‘‘ something tells me that you are about to address me on a delicate topic.” “What topic, my lord?” asked Makepeace, gazing fixedly upon his master’s countenance. ‘When I was insensate enough,’ rejoined the earl, speaking as it were between his teeth which were nearly close set, ‘‘ to suffer you to become acquainted with that love which subsisted between myself and the countess, I little suspected that you would ever think of taking an unworthy advantage of the confidence thus reposed in you.” ‘‘ And when, my lord, have I done so?” asked Make- peace, who seemed for an instant staggered by the manner in which he was thus addressed. ‘You have not done it yet,” responded the earl, “ but I am much mistaken if you are not about to do so now. I should like to be so mistaken. But there was something in your manner a few minutes back upon the landing, — there is something even in your look at this very moment — ”’ ‘Well, my lord,’ interrupted Makepeace, not merely recovering his effrontery, but evidently becoming more and more inclined to throw off the mask completely, ‘‘ and what if I think it high time your lordship should do something for me? What if I mean to demand that which you had not the generosity to offer me? ” ‘‘ Speak your wishes,” said the Earl of Lascelles, still with an outward appearance of cold and haughty dignity, what- ever he might have inwardly felt. “Look you, my lord,” said Makepeace, and the usually servile, grovelling, bowing menial, who had never before looked as if he had dared say his soul was his own, drew his person upright, thrust his hands into his breeches pockets, and planted himself close in front of the earl with an air of defiance. ‘“‘ Considering all I have done to serve you when you were Lord Osmond, how I winked at your pranks with the old earl’s wife, how I told lies to screen you, and con- sidering also what I could tell if I chose, about the very circumstances that changed your title from simple Lord Osmond to the grand one of Earl of Lascelles, I think that if your lordship was to write me a cheque for ten thousand EORNICLIOOKS (E(0)