The Freemason's Daughter: A Novel — page 56: what you’re looking at

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

THE FREEMASONS DAUGHTER. 47 heart good to see wealth fulfilling its duty to humanity —ain the guilelessness of his heart, he suspected no other motive. ‘© How is he ?”’ demanded the gentleman. ‘‘ Better now ; but he has been mortal bad, sir: once or twice I thought he would have died; but the brandy revived him. Gridley,” he added, slightly shaking the hand of the sick man, “look up! here be Squire Grindem come to see thee.” A deep groan was the only answer. “Shall I give him some more brandy?” said the weaver. | “It may do him good,” was the cold-blooded reply. ‘JT don’t understand these things.” The poor fellow, unconscious of the evil he was doing, carefully raised the sick man on his arm, and poured the contents of a wine-glass of the destroying spirit down his throat. The effect was fearful—like a giant who had been suddenly restored to animation by a galvanic shock, the old man half sprang from the mattress, dashed the weaver to the ground, twined his arm in the tattered chintz curtain of the bed, and fixed his eyes upon his master, with an expression which made even his nerves quail—and he was not a man to be moved by trifles, as we have already shown. Before evening poor Gridley was the inmate of Mr. Crab’s private madhouse. On the third morning the clerk, who was perfectly recovered, was permitted by the carelessness of one of COniiclooecl SS (SO