The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 54: what you’re looking at

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

EDGAR BEVERLEY OO knew not who you were, but you have all along known me, though you seem to have been playing a part to make me imagine that you did not. Of what use was this pro- ceeding on your part? If at the first you had told me can- didly who you were, and that you meant to keep my secret not merely as a man of honour, but likewise through delicate consideration on behalf of my sister, think you that I should have regarded you with hate? No, on the contrary I should have been grateful, and most welcome would you have been at our house. But your chilling coldness toward me from the very first, your reserved and forced politeness, were intended to humiliate me, though you were careful to ab- stain from verbal expressions of contempt and scorn.’ “You may conceive, Mr. Ashton, how infinite was my astonishment while Mrs. Maxwell was thus addressing me. I was stricken speechless, and I continued to gaze upon her with a degree of wonderment which she doubtless began to suspect was truly genuine. She now surveyed me with surprise in her turn, and at length she said, ‘ Is it possible that I am mistaken? Do you really know nothing?’ and then she stopped short, as if fearful of making an admission in case I was really ignorant with regard to the points to which she was thus mysteriously alluding. ‘On my soul, madam,’ I exclaimed, ‘ you are speaking to me in the stran- gest enigmas, and all that you have said compels me to be explicit on certain points, delicate though they are to touch upon. You say that I was cold to you on the first two occasions that we met, but perhaps if my mind had not been full of the loveliness of one who was then a stranger to me, I should have gladly submitted to the influence of your charms. I will ask whether you did not see that I started with surprise on the day that Mr. Maxwell invited me to dine here, and when for the first time I learned who you were?’ ‘Enough, Mr. Beverley,’ interrupted Mrs. Max- well; ‘I have been labouring under a most extraordinary mistake. I have altogether misunderstood you; I have at- tributed to you motives which I now see you could not pos- sibly have entertained. I must crave your forgiveness, for my conduct has been most ungenerous. Let us speak no more of the past; let us think only of the purpose that has brought you hither, and of the topic which all along ought to have most interested us.’ CORNICLOOOKS (CO)