Page:The Mysterious Warning - Parsons (1796, volume 4).djvu/47

 The gentlemen were now pretty near to them; she turned to Ferdinand—"One word of discovery, and you are ruined."—She walked out; the gentlemen past, and she followed them pretty closely. The valet was silent, though dreadfully agitated. Ferdinand kept his eyes fixed on her as long as she remained in sight, with so much mute surprise, such horror and astonishment, that it took from him all power of speech or motion for some minutes.

Recovering at length, when she was lost to his view—"Good Heavens!" he exclaimed, "is it possible that woman, so soft, so lovely, so interesting in her gentleness, can, by vice and profligacy of manners, attain to such a degree of boldness and impudent bravery, as would shame the most hardened of mankind!

"For you," said he, turning to the trembling valet—"you who have profited nothing by your crimes, I know not that your conviction could afford any satisfaction to Heli, without the recovery of his property; tho' guilty of many base actions, you scrupled at