The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 181: what you’re looking at

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

158 REYNOLDS’ WORKS in my veins, it is molten lead. My very brain is seething in boiling oil. The pangs of hell are upon me now. Oh, my God, there must be a hell hereafter, for there is even one in this life! ”’ And the wretched Duke of Marchmont, removing his hands from his countenance, and opening his eyes, glanced around him with ghastly, shuddering looks of horror, as if he dreaded to behold Satan himself standing near, clothed in all the infernal majesty of those terrors which belong to his awful sovereignty. ‘And then this woman too,” ejaculated the duke, thus suddenly and abruptly resuming his silent reflections, “‘ this woman who has discovered my secret!’ and he alluded to Mrs. Oxenden. “Can I succeed in bribing her to silence? Yes, yes, this at least 1s practicable. But, oh, what perils environ me! A spark may cause the explosion of a mine beneath my feet, a breath may destroy me. That villain! ”’ — now alluding to the Burker — “if by accident he should be captured he might tell everything. And if proof were de- manded, how could I now indignantly repel the charge of such a miscreant when he would demand that Mrs. Oxenden should be found and brought forward to corroborate his statement? ”’ , At this instant the door of the room opened, and the Duchess of Marchmont made her appearance. The beautiful and amiable Lavinia came alone; she entered timidly and hesitatingly, with anxiety depicted upon her countenance, and she stopped short on perceiving how ghastly and how haggard were the looks of her husband, notwithstanding the sudden attempt which he made to assume an air of mental composure. | ‘My dear Hugh,” she said, again advancing toward him, ‘IT fear that something dreadful has occurred to distress you.”’ ‘‘ Something dreadful? ”’ he ejaculated, half-fiercely, half- affrightedly, “ what mean you? ”’ ‘Oh, do not be angry with me, my dear husband,”’ said the duchess, laying her fair white hand upon his arm, and looking up entreatingly into his countenance. ‘“ Believe me, I am not indifferent to your welfare — ”’ ‘Oh, indifferent indeed!’’ cried the duke, affecting to laugh scornfully. ‘‘ Perhaps you have come to tell me that CORNICIIOOKS (Elo)