The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 19: what you’re looking at

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

THE MYSTERIES OF THE COURT OF LONDON CHAPTER I THE SEQUEL THE command of Lady Ernestina was peremptory enough for the Hangman to take his departure, but still he moved not. That is to say, though he quailed and even grew afraid in her presence, for there was something terrible in her wrath, yet he did not issue from the room. A sort of unknown fascination kept him there. He felt as if circumstances had ~ now so mixed up her fortunes with his own that he must not abandon her. Or perhaps, in his own savage, brutal style, he entertained a fancy — we dare not use the word affection — for that splendid patrician creature of whose person he had ere now possessed himself. But whatever the feeling were, certain it is that he lingered in her presence, unable to leave, yet not knowing how to propitiate her. “Do you hear what I have said, and do you mean to obey? ’”’ she asked, the words hissing with subdued rage between the portals of those lips which had so recently been polluted by the hot kisses of the ruffian who stood before her. “The plain truth of it is, ma’am,” he answered, “I will not leave you. I don’t want to have the hanging of such a beautiful creature as you are. You are too handsome to die on the gibbet. My arm has been around your neck, and - I should not like to have to put a rope there. Understand me, then. If you stop you will be hanged; your only safety 1 (C(O)INN) (C (O JI KS a