The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 275: what you’re looking at

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

246 REYNOLDS’ WORKS her ladyship looked over the bridge down into the stream underneath. Oh, miss —”’ The woman stopped short, and so strong a convulsive spasm shot through her that the bed shook under her. Horror was in her countenance, and she fixed her eyes with a kindred expression upon Isabella. “Proceed,” said the young lady, catching the infection of the same shuddering horror, for she saw that the mystery of her deceased relatives’ fate was about to be fearfully elucidated. ‘‘ All of a sudden, miss,’”’ continued the invalid woman, in a low and solemn voice, “‘ the countess cried, ‘ Forgive me, Adolphus!’ Ah, she was thinking of the legend, and she was imitating it frightfully! ”’ ‘“‘ Good heavens! ’’ murmured Isabella, her blood running cold. | ‘‘Yes, she imitated it,’ proceeded the woman. ‘“ She flung her arms around the earl’s neck, and down they went together. O God! never shall I forget the wild, wild cry that rang forth from the lips of the young earl. But no cry came from those of the countess. There was an awful splash, and I fell back in a dead swoon in the grove.”’ ‘“‘ Just Heaven! ’’ murmured Isabella, “ what a tragedy. How full of a wild and terrible romance! And now the mystery is cleared up. It was not an accident, it was not even a double suicide; it was a suicide and a murder. How horrible! ”’ ‘‘When I recovered my senses,”’ continued the woman, ‘“‘T hastened home to the cottage in affright. I felt as if I was going mad; the cry of the earl rang in my ears and seemed to pierce my brain. I told my husband what had happened, and he implored me to keep the thing a secret. He said that we should both be punished for my curiosity by the loss of his situation. So you see, miss, I was afraid to come forward when the coroner’s inquest took place, and of course, having kept back then, I have held my tongue ever since. It has preyed upon me, and [I do really believe it is this that has made me ill. Several times when I have received kindnesses from your steward, who is a most worthy and excellent man, I have been going to tell him what I saw and heard on that dreadful day, but I have been frightened to do so, I was so afraid he would scold me for , ) GoOmiicbdoc gs) (E(@)