Beautiful Rienzi; or, The Secret Vendetta — page 84: what you’re looking at

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

BEAUTIFUL RIENZI. 77 til we are satisfied that neither money nor threats have any effect. If, as you suspect, it is really a dishonest es- _tablishment, 7 may manage to give them some trouble; you know I saw most of their patients, and if any of them have been unlawfully concealed there like our Isolina, I can easily rouse the fears of the proprietors.” While we conferred, we had crossed the ferry, and were now entering the narrow lane from Montgomery street, when after a few directions to Nelson, we alighted, and leaving the carriage a few blocks otf, threaded our way through the tortuous windings to the red brick building, To my father’s peremptory knock, the same man in livery appeared. He started back in consternation when he beheld me, and gave a quick glance at my father, which seemed rather to deepen his discomfort. Seen in the indistinct light of dusk, with his tall figure, and dark, stern face, he might be very properly taken for a person of au- thority—the Inspector of Police, at least; by a man, who had evidently often watched for such visitors before. ‘Tl must see Doctor Oaks,” said my father. Away sped the man, with the alacrity of alarm, leaving us on the outer door step. Aftera protracted absence, dur- ing which a close cab drove up and stationed itself at the door, he came back. ‘“Come in,” he said, trying to affect urbanity, and throwing wide the door; ‘‘ Dr. Oaks will be most happy ” here he caught sight of the cab, and remained wildly staring. ‘* Walk in here,” he said, recovering himself, and eagerly ushering us into the room that I had before entered. We did so, but no sooner had he withdrawn, than I fol- lowed him and stood at the entrance door within the shadow, listening with strained ears to his first words to the cabman. He ran out and now stood on the muddy pavement, tele- — graphing his arms excitedly. ‘“Drive on—drive on!” he exclaimed, angrily, ‘‘ what makes you draw up here when you see persons at the door? Get off, out of this, and don’t come back for half an hour, perhaps we sha’n’t get the party moved to-night.” The cabman smote his lean horses into motion, and the servant slowly re-entered the hall where I waited. ‘Take care, Hobson,” I uttered, in a voice of warning, ‘that this house doesn’t get itself into trouble. You had comicbooks (e(e)