mistress's escape?

How my temper changed in a moment!--Ring, ring, ring, ring, I my bell,
with a violence enough to break the string, and as if the house were on
fire.

Every devil frighted into active life: the whole house in an uproar. Up
runs Will.--Sir--Sir--Sir!--Eyes goggling, mouth distended--Bid the
damn'd toad Dorcas come hither, (as I stood at the stair-head,) in a
horrible rage, and out of breath, cried I.

In sight came the trembling devil--but standing aloof, from the report
made her by Will. of the passion I was in, as well as from what she had
heard.

Flash came out my sword immediately; for I had it ready on--Cursed,
confounded, villanous bribery and corruption----

Up runs she to her lady's door, screaming out for safety and protection.

Good your honour, interposed Will., for God's sake!--O Lord, O Lord!--
receiving a good cuff.--

Take that, varlet, for saving the ungrateful wretch from my vengeance.

Wretch! I intended to say; but if it were some other word of like
ending, passion must be my excuse.

Up ran two or three of the sisterhood, What's the matter! What's the
matter!

The matter! (for still my beloved opened not the door; on the contrary,
drew another bolt,) This abominable Dorcas!--(call her aunt up!--let her
see what a traitress she has placed about me!--and let her bring the toad
to answer for herself)--has taken a bribe, a provision for life, to
betray her trust; by that means to perpetuate a quarrel between a man and
his wife, and frustrate for ever all hopes of reconciliation between us!

Let me perish, Belford, if I have patience to proceed with the farce!

***

If I must resume, I must----

Up came the aunt, puffing and blowing--As she hoped for mercy, she was
not privy to it! She never knew such a plotting, perverse lady in her
life!--Well might servants be at the pass they were, when such ladies as
Mrs. Lovelace made no conscience of corrupting them. For her part she
desired no mercy for the wretch; no niece of her's, if she were not
faithful to her trust!--But what was the proof?----

She was shown the paper----

But too evident!--Cursed, cursed toad, devil, jade, passed from each
mouth:--and the vileness of the corrupted, and the unworthiness of the
corruptress, were inveighed against.

Up we all went, passing the lady's door into the dining-room, to proceed
to trial.----

Stamp, stamp, stamp up, each on her heels; rave, rave, rave, every tongue