The String of Pearls; or, The Barber of Fleet Street — page 237: what you’re looking at

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

THE STRING OF PEARLS. 999 2 ~ Mrs, Rage drew her | breath so hard “through her nose that she made a noise | like some wild animal in the agonies of suffocation. ** You really know me, Tobias ?”’ ** Know you, dear? Oh, why should I not know you, Minna? ey, bless ou ! 1? ‘“¢ May He bless you, Tobias.”’ They wept together; Minna forgot that there was anybody in the world but herself and Tobias, and parting the long straggling masses of his hair from before his face, she kissed him. “For my sake, Tobias, now you will take care of yourself, and TeCOREE. quickly,” Aft ys ‘* Dear—-dear Minna.” ne | He seemed never tired of holding her hands and kissing them. Suddenly the surgeon stepped forward with a small vial in his hand. ‘* Now, Tobias,” he said, “‘ you are much better, but you must take. this.” The look of surprise and consternation with which Tobias regarded him was beyond description. Then he glanced at the bedstead and the rich hangings, and he said— «*©Oh, Minna, what is all this? WhereamI? Is it a dream?” “Give it to him,” said the surgeon, handing the vial to Minna. She placed the neck of it to his lips. ‘¢ Drink, Tobias.” Had it been deadly poison she had offered him, Tobias would have taken. ite: The vial was drained. He looked in her face again with a smile. 2s idl is indeed a dream, my Minna, may I never awaken-—dear—dear— 7 one—]— He fell back upon the pillow. The smile still lingered upon his face, but the | narcotic which the surgeon had had administered to him had produced its effect; | and the enfeebled Tobias fell into deep sleep. Minna Gray looked rather alarmed at this sudden falling off of Tobias from waking to sleeping, but the wea quieted her fears. ‘All is right,” he said. ‘He will awaken in some hours wonderfully refreshed, and I have the pleasure of now predicting his perfect cure.” “You do not know,” said Colonel Jeffery, ‘‘ what pleasure that assurance gives me.” ‘‘ And me,” said the captain. Minna looked all that she thought, but she could not speak. and Mrs: Rage: still kept up the mysterious noisé she produced by hard breathing with her mouth close shut. ‘* Now, madam,”’ said the surgeon to her, “‘ our young friend must be left alone . for some hours. It is now six o'clock, and I do not expect he will awaken until twelve. When he does so, I am very much mistaken if you do not all of gel find him perfectly restored and composed, although very weak.’ ili {= *I will take care to be at hand,” said the colonel. ‘‘ Miss Gray, perhapsiyee 1} gall call and see how he is to-morrow, and all I can say is,,that:youwill be quite 1} welcdme to my house whenever you think proper, but: let: me: impress upon you . thing. tee What is it, sir 2?” "The absolute necessity of your keeping Tobias’s place of abode and anything concerning him a most profound secret.”’ " : T will-do so,’’ | | «Tf you do not, you will not only endanger the cause of justice, but: in an i probability his. life; for he has an enemy with great resources, and of the most: |}. unscrupulous disposition in the use of them: I say this much to. “you, benmiiee ie the Teast indiscretion might-be fatal.” - . | - eee | «T will giard the secret, sir, as I would guard his life.” — Te es | at wih ia come. down atausi/s ane act us have a glass of wine. to i comicbooks.com