The Mysteries of the Court of London by Pauline Clarendon — page 344: what you’re looking at

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

ANOTHER DARK PLOT 341 lieved her of the apprehensions which had struck a chill to her heart, and a glowing excitement sprang up in her bosom. She looked forth from the window; but when Meagles had descended a few feet, his form became absorbed in the utter darkness which prevailed, and the Amazon, with suspended breath and upheaved bosom, listened to assure herself that he was performing the perilous Journey in safety. She likewise kept her hands upon the rope to feel 11 1t con- tinued to maintain that tightness of tension which the weight of Meagles imparted to it; and thus two minutes dragged their slow length along. But at the expiration of that time the rope became sud- denly loose in her grasp; and immediately afterward it was shaken from beneath, the serpentine motion thus given to it undulating up to the very extremity where it was attached to the heavy bedstead. Then the Amazon knew that Meagles had descended in safety, and that the coast was clear below; and, animated with a still more fervid excitement than before, — for she entertained no fears on her own account,—the brave woman committed herself to the rudely formed rope. Meagles held it firmly in the yard beneath, and likewise kept it at a convenient distance trom the wall of the house; the task, so far as it regarded the adventurous lady, was therefore much facilitated. And now, with her delicate hands grasping the twisted sheet and blanket, and with her legs clutching it also, the Amazon gradually lowered herself, each knot in the rope tempering the rapidity of her descent, until she reached the bottom in safety, and was caught in the arms of the delighted Tim Meagles. Well, indeed, was it for them that they had made their rope of such a length; for the yard was far below the level of the street on which the front of the house looked. Not a moment was now to be lost. The sounds of up- roarious revelry reached their ears from the public-room, and warned them that they had still much to contend against, unless there were an outlet from that yard otherwise than through the house. But a few moments’ rapid inves- tigation convinced them that there was not; and no alterna- tive remained but to adopt their original resolution of forcing their way into the street. ECOMNICE OOO SS (GO)