Page:Tales of my landlord (Volume 4).djvu/213

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OLD MORTALITY.
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"What man?—What, window?" said Lord Evandale, in impatient displeasure. "Miss Bellenden is incapable of trifling with me, and yet what else could have"—

"Hush! hush!" said Jenny, whose interest lay particularly in shifting further enquiry; "for Heaven's sake, my Lord, speak low; my Lady begins to recover."

Edith was no sooner somewhat restored to herself than she begged, in a feeble voice, to be left alone with Lord Evandale. All retreated, Jenny, with her usual air of officious simplicity, Lady Emily and the chaplain with that of awakened curiosity. No sooner had they left the apartment than Edith beckoned Lord Evandale to sit beside her on the couch; her next motion was to take his hand, in spite of his surprised resistance, to her lips; her last was to, sink from her seat and to clasp his knees.

"Forgive me, my Lord!" she exclaimed—"Forgive me!—I must deal most untruly by you, and break a solemn engage-