The Child of Waterloo, or, The Horrors of the Battle-Field — page 191: what you’re looking at

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

188 THE CHILD OF WATERLOO. ‘‘ What could have been her motive for leaving in so sudden a manner ?” remarked his worship. ‘‘T really don’t know, sir. Sbe seemed to be very grateful for what I ai for her, so that I really did not expect this.” ‘“‘Nor I.” ‘‘She said nothing to any one, and no trace could be found.” ‘‘The man has escaped from his prison, too,” said the magis- trate, significantly. “Yes, they are both gone,” said the officer; ‘‘ and putting this omy that together, your worship, why it looks like a very black ob. ? ; His worship said it did, and took time to consider what be should say next. | ‘Tt strikes me,” said the magistrate, “that this Miss Mabel Morton is in league with the man, who, after all, may and is very probably the murderer.” ‘*There’s no doubt of it now, your worship, and her evidence was all flam—mere moonshine, your worship, save and except, of course, the perjury.” ‘‘ Exactly .” ‘*That by accusing him of one crime she gave him the oppor- tunity of escaping from the effects of another.” ‘‘And he has now adroitly escaped from the punishment awarded to either,” said the magistrate. ‘*Exactly, your worship.” ‘‘And we have been done—defeated, and justice has been completely diverted from its proper course.” ‘“‘} think your worship is right. In this instance it seems to me as if it were a planned thing between them.” ‘S Well,” said his worship, ‘“‘I must admit I have been de- ceived—completely deceived, by the manner, appearance, and tale of the girl herself—that I had every reliance upon her.” ‘Some of our men seemed to have doubted her from the first, and yet they could not tell why they should, save that she had a very unsettled air.” “She had; but that might be ascribed to so many sources, that we could not judge from that.” There was now a long pause, and then the magistrate ‘* Well, I don’t see what can be done, save take measures to follow and apprehend them. Another post will probably con- firm the opinion that she is an impostor.” ‘* No doubt it will, your worship—no doubt of it.” At that moment Mabel, being informed that the night charges were 'disposed of, and that she might, if she desired, make any application to the bench she pleased, entered the court and heard tbe last sentence or two, and had also some glimmering of a suspicion that it alluded to herself. She, with the aid of an officer, made her way through the crowd to the witness- box. ‘‘A young woman wants to make an application to your wor- ace said the usher. e officer who had been speaking to his worship turned comicbooks. com