Bonny Jean, and A Severe Threat — page 197: what you’re looking at

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

190 “ 4 SEVERE TILREAT, ‘Vou are the new nurse, I presume ?” she began. ‘‘T am the new nurse, my lady.” Lady Venetia bit her lip and glanced suspiciously into the passive face of the old woman. ‘‘Who told you,” she began, hastily, then checked herself. ‘‘ How did you know my name ?” she added. The old woman made no reply, and Lady Venetia continued : ‘< Lady Sydney is a great friend of mine, and I —I have called to see her. Do you consider her in great danger?” The nurse turned an impassive face upon her intolocutor. ‘*Great !” she returned, quietly, ‘‘so great that I must beg you to retire, Lady Chandos !” As the old woman uttered the words she chanced to lift her eyes, covered Ly the huge steel-bowed spectacles, and a look of surprise, then horror, dawned in their depths ; for that one swift, upward glance had revealed to her something which made her | heart stand still. Yet it was nothing remarkable or uncommon which. she had seen; merely the coat of arms of the house of Sydney, which was emblazened over the door-way of the cham- ber, as indeed it was over the dcors throughout the entire house. The old woman stood transfixed, her gaze fastened upon it. Her breath came and went in fitful gasps, and involuntarily she clutched at something that lay hidden in her bosom. The others eyes were upon the face of nurse Martha, with a cold, hard, supercilious stare. ‘‘You must go, my lady!” panted the old woman. ‘Dr, Denzil has given orders that no visitors shall be admitted.” A strange gleam shot into Lady Venetia’s steely-blue eyes ; she caught her breath quickly, and turned with a haughty ges- ture, stepped over the threshold, and the sick-room was relieved of her unwelcome presence. At the foot of the grand staircase she encountered the baronet. Lady Venetia pointed up the stair-way ; her features livid, and working convulsively. ‘‘Keep a sharp lookout, Sir John Sydney,” she hissed ‘‘or you will find yourself worsted. Wait!” She paused and glanced GEOMIEGHOOKS: €o =)