The Freemason's Daughter: A Novel — page 258: what you’re looking at

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

THE FREEMASONS DAUGHTER. 251 “I never regret anything,” testily replied the merchant.” ** Not even the loss of Gridley’s papers?” mockingly inquired his partner. Grindem bounded from his seat as though he had received an electric shock, or a serpent’s tooth had stung him. The full sense of his position flashed upon him: he, the rich, the proud and overbearing Gilbert Grindem, suddenly found himself at the mercy of a man whom he had treated for years as an abject thing, fit only to vent his humour on—to bear his sneers, reproaches, insults and temper—a sort of human conductor to disperse his spleen and choleric temper. The veins in his temples and forehead swelled like cords, so great was the rush of blood which the shock sent to his brain. | Even Small, prepared as he was for the effect his communication would produce, felt appalled: for several moments there was a doubtful struggle whether apoplexy would or would not deprive him of the fruits of his cunning. ! ““Gridley’s papers?” at last faltered the wretched man. ** Ay, sir, Gridley’s papers,” repeated the little man ; “the proofs of your fraud and villany; proofs which will crush you, despite your wealth; place you a miserable culprit in the felon’s dock, as the spoiler of the widow and the orphan; hold your name up to the COniiclooecl SS (SO