The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 198: what you’re looking at

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

CLOSE OF THE TRIBUNAL 173 Coleman,.and she said to him, “ Is it, then, as we conjectured? Has the shock been too much? ” “Tt is so, your Majesty,”’ answered the solicitor. ‘‘ The physician declares that the unhappy man cannot survive many hours.”’ _“ And his wife, the unfortunate Lavinia, she who can no longer be spoken of as the Duchess of Marchmont?” and tears of compassion trickled down Indora’s cheeks as she gave utterance to these words. “The unfortunate lady of whom your Majesty speaks,”’ rejoined Mr. Coleman, “is kneeling by the bedside of her husband. The village clergyman has just arrived, and the perishing sinner is joining with him in prayer.”’ “But Lavinia?’”’ said the queen, in accents of most mournful inquiry. | “That lady who is so deeply to be pitied,’ responded Coleman, “‘ seems as if she likewise had received her death- blow. She is overwhelmed with grief and horror. She looks as if she were in a dream, in a kind of half-stupor which numbs the intensity of her affliction. She can scarcely believe that all she has heard is true. Was it not a dis- tressing scene, madam, when your Majesty broke to the unhappy lady the terrific intelligence? ”’ ‘“‘It was a scene,’ answered Indora, shuddering at the bare recollection, ‘‘ which I never, never can forget, —a scene which will often hereafter haunt me, for the wild shriek which rang forth from Lavinia’s lips is still sounding in my ears. Oh, yes, it was a frightful scene. And yet I was In & measure prepared for it, for I had previously granted the unhappy lady an interview, before the pro- ceedings in the tribunal commenced. And in that interview I had endeavoured to prepare Lavinia’s mind as much as possible for something dreadful. But, oh, when I sought her second time, and began breaking the frightful intelligence as delicately as I could — oh, Mr. Coleman, the spectacle of anguish that I witnessed cannot possibly be described. Ah! it is terrible to reflect that in performing an act of jus- tice, in proclaiming wrong and making right come upper- most, the consequences should redound with such appalling power upon the head of an innocent person.”’ The queen wiped away the tears from her eyes, and after a brief pause, Mr. Coleman inquired, ‘‘ Where are that Gomiuilcbdoc cS (E(©)