The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 104: what you’re looking at

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

THE ALPINE TRAGEDY 85 door, which was covered with green baize and which usually stood open. ‘“ Be not alarmed, Lady Octavian, at these precautions,”’ he said, slowly returning to his seat, ‘‘ but I am about to speak to you on a subject for which there must be no lis- teners.”’ If Zoe were not exactly alarmed, she nevertheless felt a chill strike glacially to her heart, for there was something so fearful in Monsieur Volney’s looks at the moment, — some- thing so full of ghastly horror, that it was only too well calculated to produce this effect. He resumed his seat; he drew his chair closer toward her, and he said, in a voice which had now changed from a deep mournfulness to a sepulchral hollowness, ‘‘ That which I am about to tell you has never yet been breathed to mortal ears, and from your lips must it never go forth again. I need your advice in the awiul dilemma in which I am placed; I feel myself totally unable to act according to the guidance of my own soul’s promptings. Strong as my mind has hitherto been, the in- cidents which are now passing have reduced it to a more than childhood’s weakness. You, Lady Octavian, have shown yourself so good, so kind, so affectionate toward my daughter — you possess too so much sterling sense — that I readily leave myself in your hands. But in order that you may be enabled to assist me with your judgment and direct my proceedings, I must tell you everything.”’ Monsieur Volney paused; Zoe had no reply to make, — at least not for the present, but she waited with intensest curiosity, and also with a solemn feeling of interest, for the explanations that were to come. ‘ First of all,’’ resumed Monsieur Volney, ‘“‘ let me inform you of the nature of that letter which Alfred Delorme placed in my hand last night. It was a letter written by my wretched wife to Alfred’s father; it was after the birth of my daughter, and by its tenor it fully proved that although they had for some time loved each other with that illicit, fatal affection of theirs, yet that it was only a few days prior to the writing of that letter that their love had become down- right criminal. Yes, the evidence that such is the fact is incontrovertible, and therefore was I enabled last night to embrace Clarine for the first time with the conviction that in her I was veritably embracing a daughter. And thus, too, CoOnnicloookKSs (C(O)