The Freemason's Daughter: A Novel — page 129: what you’re looking at

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

120 THE FREEMASONS DAUGHTER. of an instant. Concealing them in the lining of his hat, he retreated by the way he came, carelessly smoking his pipe, by way of concealing his embarrass- ment. Marjoram, who had been detained a minute or two by one of the officers, in his way to the magistrate’s room, encountered him, and being in an ill humour, harshly asked how he dared to take such a liberty as to smoke in the office. ‘T beg your pardon; I only—” You only! Turn him out!” said the great man. ‘‘T wonder why you permit such a fellow to come lounging about the place.” “ He asked to see you, sir,” replied one of the men. *‘T have no time now,’ crossly answered his superior. ‘* When he has any intelligence, let him give it to the clerks. What willthe magistrates say, if they smell the fumes of the pipe in the office ?” With these words the speaker hurried on to where he was waited for; and Ben, to his no small relief, was quickly turned into the street. It was a fortunate thing for the ruffian that the robbery had been effected with such extraordinary rapidity ; for when, an hour after his departure, Marjoram discovered it, his first suspicion fell upon Ben. “ No, no—hang the fellow !—it could not have been him, I had not left the room more than two minutes when I met him in the hall, and ordered him out of the office. It must be somé one on the establishment.” 3 (SO ecomnuicloooks