The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 231: what you’re looking at

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

204 REYNOLDS’ WORKS along the passage, and in a minute reached the door of the dressing-room where the late earl had been wont to perform his somewhat elaborate toilet under the auspices of Make- peace. As if smitten with the same feeling and at the same moment, the young earl and the countess flung their looks upon each other; the countenance of each was pale, but full of firm and solemn resolve. They spoke not a word. Adolphus opened the door of the dressing-room, and with the habitual courtesy which in respect to a female prevails with every well-bred man under any circumstances, he stood aside to suffer Ethel to enter first. Without the slightest hesitation she crossed the threshold; she lingered not in the dressing-room for Adolphus to come close up with her as she opened the door of communication with the bedchamber, — that chamber which had proved the scene of the terrific tragedy. She entered the chamber, Adolphus quickly followed, and once more did they exchange rapid looks, as if each were curious, or we should rather say anxious to ascertain what demeanour was now borne by the other. And both coun- tenances were still expressive of firmness mingled with a solemn awe. The young Earl of Lascelles deposited the lamp upon a table, and holding the Bible in one hand, he advanced to- ward the bed, Ethel keeping close by his side. ‘Suffer me to take the oath first,’ said the countess; “and if for an instant,’’ she added, “‘ I may have appeared to shudder as I thus approach this couch, it was not in trepidation on account of the oath that I am about to take, but through horrified remembrance of the spectacle which I beheld in this apartment the last time that I was here.” It can scarcely be necessary to inform the reader that all traces of the hideous tragedy had been cleansed or removed away from the chamber, and that no one unless previously acquainted with the fact could for an instant have suspected that any such foul crime had been perpetrated there. ‘‘ And I too shuddered for an instant,” said Adolphus, “and for the same reason. Can you depict to yourself, Ethel, the whole of that dread spectacle? Can you lay your hand upon the satin coverlid of this couch, and fancy within yourself that it is upon the cold corpse of the deceased you are placing that hand as if that corpse were indeed here still? CORNICLIOOKS (E(0)