The Twin Detectives; or, The Robbers of the Tomb — page 23: what you’re looking at

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

14 | THE TWIN DETECTIVES. “Why, this body-snatching. My gracious, people can’t even rest in their graves!” «Tt is very sad.” «© «Sad? I don’t know what kind of a person you are to call it ‘sad.’ Sad, indeed! Why, sir, it’s infamous—it’s a . disgrace to the British government—it’s—it’s——” The old man choked in his indignation, and had a fit of coughing in a large red silk handkerchief. ‘‘ Yes, it’s dreadful!’ replied the steward. ‘“Who do you suppose stole that body?” asked the old man, peering in McLean face through his spectacles. _ “How should I know?” the steward answered, drawing back. ‘Well, I thought maybe you were acquainted with some of the people about here. I ama stranger myself. . You - don’t know any of the people, do’you?” €* No, sir.” The faithful steward told the lie as if he was accustomed i to falsehood. “Oh, well, then, you don’t know any more than I do. I suppose this earl was a bad man—terrible tyrant, I hear?” ‘¢] don’t know.” : It was wonderful how patiently the faithful steward sat there and heard his dead master’s memory assailed. ““Oh, you don’t cet he ! Well, I guess he was a real tyrant.” «‘T suppose so.’ ‘¢ And you can’t think how his body got stolen, eh?” ‘“Of course not,” replied the steward, rather stoutly. «Well, now, do you know what I think?” The old man drew closer to McLean, and spoke in a low tone. “© No.” ‘Well, I think some of his own servants stole it.’ Eo *‘eomicbooks