Roanoke of Roanoke Hall: A Romance — page 126: what you’re looking at

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

120 Roanoke of Roanoke Hall. far as possible, and to obtain as complete an insight as I could into John o’ Compton’s hopes and schemes. So it was that during the following months he seldom visited Stephen Ashland without my being an unseen auditor of the interview, and in time I became so emboldened by my continued immunity that I quite forgot the serious danger I ran every time I penetrated into the secret closet. One afternoon, towards the end of June, from my lookout amid the hay I saw John 0’ Compton enter the secret door, and I pre- pared, as was my wont, to follow. Before, however, I could put this project into execu- tion the man Basset and another robustious villain entered the chapel. “Never thou heed the why and wherefore, but do as thou art bid,” said the former. “‘Betake thee to the roof as I have told thee, and seize man, woman, or child who shall venture there.” “‘ But what the devil for, Mat ?” asked the other man. “What is that to thee, man?” replied Basset. ‘‘Go, go; we waste time tarrying comichbooks.com