The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 105: what you’re looking at

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

86 REYNOLDS’ WORKS the barrier which my hideous suspicion had raised up against the possibility of an alliance between herself and Alfred De- lorme has ceased to exist, but there is another — another,”’ added Monsieur Volney, with difficulty suppressing a burst of anguish, — ‘‘ unless indeed by your judgment and under your guidance, Lady Octavian, it can be surmounted.”’ ‘And this other barrier? ’’ said Zoe, still in a state of deep and solemn suspense. ‘‘ Listen to me,”’ said Monsieur Volney, “‘ and I will tell you a tale which you can little expect to hear. You are already sufficiently acquainted with past events to enable me to take up my narrative from a particular point without any prefa- tory details. I therefore wish to direct your attention to that period — that fatal period — when I suddenly discov- ered my wife’s infidelity. She died of a broken heart, over- whelmed with shame and disgrace, as you have heard. The Viscount Delorme — that false friend who became the author of so much misery — fled to avoid my vengeance, for I sent a friend to provoke him to a mortal duel, — a duel in which I had resolved that one if not both should perish. But my mind was made up; I was determined to have vengeance; nothing but the blood of that man could appease my furi- ously excited passions. Heaven knows that up to that in- stant my character had never displayed itself in a ferocious light; my disposition had never developed savage instincts. But I had experienced a wrong so stupendous that only an adequate vengeance could give rest to my perturbed and excited spirit. Atleast such was my idea. By some means, which I need not now pause to describe, I got upon the vis- count’s track, and I at once pretexted an inclination for a change of residence to an Italian clime. I took my infant daughter and Marguerite with me. Oh, often and often did I wonder within myself wherefore I entertained the least love for that child, and wherefore I did not cast her forth from me as the possible offspring of that illicit love which had dis- honoured me. But when I looked upon Clarine’s innocent countenance there was a yearning tenderness in my heart which at least forbade me from being unkind to the babe even if my soul did not absolutely cleave to it. It was the voice of nature whispering, though faintly, within me, for last night has proven that she is indeed my daughter. Good God, if I had discarded the child, —if I had repudiated her! EORMICLIOO KS (E(0)