“O Heaven!” exclaimed he, “then Geoffry must have betrayed me!”
“No, sir, he has not; it was revealed in a very extraordinary manner to that youth whom it most concerns.”
“How can he be the heir of Lovel?”
“By being the son of that unfortunate woman, whom you cruelly obliged to leave her own house, to avoid being compelled to wed the murderer of her husband: we are not ignorant, moreover, of the fictitious funeral you made for her. All is discovered, and you will not tell us any more than we know already; but we desire to have it confirmed by your confession.”
“The judgments of Heaven are fallen upon me!” said Lord Lovel. “I am childless, and one is arisen from the grave to claim my inheritance.”
“Nothing, then, hinders you to do justice and make restitution; it is for the ease of your conscience; and you have no other way of making atonement for all the mischief you have done.”
“You know too much,” said the criminal, “and I will relate what you do not know.”
“You may remember,” proceeded he, “that I saw you once at my uncle’s house?”
“I well remember it.”
“At that time my mind was disturbed by the baleful passion of envy; it was from that root all my bad actions sprung.”