The Freemason's Daughter: A Novel — page 226: what you’re looking at

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

THE FREEMASONS DAUGHTER. 919 “Very,” replied his equally puzzled superior; “ we want Mr. Marjoram here—he would soon find it out, if there is anything to discover.” “Where is the dog?” demanded the shoemaker, who, being lame, had not descended till the last. They looked round, and Pepper was discovered under the bed, tearing the earth with his sharp claws at the foot of the wall at the head. To drag the bedstead aside was the work of an instant. Lights were procured—for the gas was only laid on in the first division of the cellar. On looking closely, they found that the brick-work, just where the head of the bedstead had stood, had been removed, and a stout door, painted to look exactly like the wall, fitted im its place. The same instruments with which the outer door had been forced were now applied to that of the recess. It yielded with a sullen sound, as if unwilling to give up the hideous secret it concealed. The dog sprang in, and the policeman followed ; the sight which met their view appalled even their hearts, accustomed as they were to gaze on scenes of cruelty and crime. Stretched at its length upon the damp floor lay the body of Tim’s Dick, to all appearance dead. The legs of the unhappy little weaver were spasmodically contracted. He must have suffered fearfully from ‘eramp in the confined space in which he had been so long a prisoner. COniiclooecl SS (SO