The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 224: what you’re looking at

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

MAKEPEACE 197 “The explanation will be soon given, my lady,” he re- joined, “‘ and I already see by your looks that you are not very far off from understanding it. You need not glance uneasily around; no one will come in. His lordship has just retired for the night; he told me that he had. You and I have got all the discourse to ourselves, and when I tell your ladyship that with a single word I can blow your honour, fame, name, position, safety, and everything else to atoms—”’ ‘Makepeace, what mean you?” ejaculated Ethel, with a strong spasmodic start, and then she nearly sank back, overcome by the weight of those frightful apprehensions which seized upon her. ‘IT mean this, my lady,” responded the valet, whose hardi- hood grew greater as he perceived that his intended victim’s misgivings increased; ‘‘I know of your amour with the young earl, — I mean when he was Lord Osmond — ”’ The wretched countess moaned deeply and covered her face with her hands, for she was only too well aware of the fatal truth of the valet’s words, and never did woman ex- perience a more bitter chastisement for a frailty of which she had been guilty, nor more profoundly regret the com- parative levity with which at the time she had treated the fact that circumstances had compelled her paramour Adol- phus to make a confidant of this man and to invoke his succour in throwing the old earl off the scent. ‘Yes, my lady,” continued Makepeace, ‘‘ I know of your amour with the young nobleman, but that is almost nothing in comparison with something else that I also know. There is, however, no necessity to make fifty words of what may be told in five, and therefore I may as well at once explain to your ladyship that all the time you were speaking with his lordship Just now, my ear was fast fixed against the keyhole, and so I lost not a single word.” Again did the countess moan, for all in an instant did whatsoever had taken place between Adolphus and herself flash back to her memory. But suddenly raising her eyes, she appeared to regain a certain degree of composure — or at least of mental fortitude — as she said, ‘“‘ You heard me say nothing, Makepeace, which justifies you in treating me in a manner so outrageously disrespectful.”’ “ On the contrary,” retorted the valet, ‘‘ I heard his lord- ship accuse you of a crime — ”’ Ss (CO) — ECOMMIC DOO