The Twin Detectives; or, The Robbers of the Tomb — page 144: what you’re looking at

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

THE TWIN DETECTIVES. | 136 \ CHAPTER XXVI. GETTING TO THE BOTTOM OF THE MYSTERY. Bob Brierly stood at his post of observation when McLean ht the gas, and the two men took seats near the stove, in which a good fire burned. Hall was the first to break the silence: | -““Didn’t I tell you I could get rid of her?” he asked, tri- umphantly. ““ Yes, you did,” assented McLean. ‘© Yes, and I did it. Now what’s the next step?” “<7 don’t know.” | McLean looked dazed. ) «‘T never saw the like of you, Mac. It seems to me, you don’t like any part of this business but the profits.” “Neither I do.” ‘¢ Well, I call that a shame,” grumbled Hall. “‘T don’t like any part of it, and as for ‘ profits,’ I don’t think we shall ever see them.” , “You are a fine fellow, pon my word. Why, when I first spoke of this—this—well, this getting something out | that beggarly Cuthbert—you jumped at the chance.” The unseen listener started. At last he was getting to the bottom of the mystery. He was about to learn the secret of the robbery of the tomb. McLean did not answer the charge at once. «You can hold your tongue if you can’t do anything ~ else,” sneered Archy. ‘Yes, I can,” replied the other, slowly. ‘‘T was thinking when you had a chance to get square with the earl without putting yourself in the hands of the law, that it was a pity you didn’t let this other affair alone.” m (e(0) Eomicbooks B es