The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 91: what you’re looking at

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

74 REYNOLDS’ WORKS his horse while he was in Mr. Coleman’s office. On coming forth thence, he dismissed the groom, with an intimation that he purposed to proceed on foot; but it struck the do- mestic that there was a strange, half-wild, half-vacant ex- pression on his ducal master’s countenance. And well might it be so, for the soul of the Duke of March- mont was a perfect pandemonium at that instant. He walked on through the adjacent squares; he felt as if he were intoxi- cated, yet without any of the exhilarating effects which wine produces. There was an awful consternation in his brain, and never was he more bewildered than at present how to act. There were reasons which seemed to induce him to fly from the country, and yet he had not the power to take any decisive step. He longed for some one whom he could con- sult, to whom he could tell everything, who might become the depositor of the stupendous secrets that lay heavy as lead upon his soul, but where was he to find such a friend? All of a sudden he recollected that his brother, his own brother, must at that moment be undergoing an examination at a police office, and he experienced a feverish, a burning desire to ascertain the result. No, not exactly the result, for he felt convinced that this must be a committal for trial; but it closely concerned the duke’s interest to learn what had transpired at the examination. He called a cab, and pro- ceeded to a hotel in Covent Garden, where he asked for a private room and ordered dinner. Oh, well may the reader imagine that this order was only given for form’s sake, but the wretched Duke of Marchmont was unable to partake of a morsel. Food appeared to stick in his throat, wine seemed to suffocate him. He longed to ask the waiter certain questions, but each time the domestic entered, the duke’s courage failed him; he dreaded to hear something terrible in respect to himself. At length, looking at his watch, he found that it was seven o’clock, and feeling convinced that the examination must be by that time over, he could no longer endure the horrible state of suspense in which he was plunged. He therefore mustered up his cour- age to address the waiter, who he perceived did not know him, inasmuch as he called him “‘ sir.’’ “Ts there not some important examination going on close by, at Bow Street? ’”’ inquired the duke, with an almost supernatural effort to command his composure. Gomicdoc <S (E()