Penny Blood Serial Fiction — page 141: what you’re looking at

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

124 THE COURT OF LONDON ‘“ But how?” demanded the baronet, encouraged by his companion’s words, although he saw not as yet the least probability of carrying the project into execution. ‘“‘ The door is as solid as the masonry, the walls are hard as rock, and we have not even a nail nor the smailest piece of iron to work with.” ‘On the contrary, I have an excellent file which I secreted about my person just now,” returned Page. ‘‘ Here — take the implement in your hands and feel it.” ‘But the bolts and chain are outside the door, and, even if you attempt to file the iron hinges, the noise will be heard up-stairs,’’ objected the baronet. ‘We will have nothing to do with the door at all,” said Page. ‘‘ While I was outside the dungeon just now, I had my eyes about me, I can assure you.. In the first place, I saw enough of the locality to convince me that this cellar is precisely the width of the house, which is a narrow one; and consequently, if there is any cellar adjoining, it must belong to another house. Granting, then, that there is a cellar on the other side of this wall against which we are leaning, we must manage to get into it — and perhaps the occupants of the next house will not prove hostile to us. At all events the risk is worth running; and this file will serve in a few hours to pick a hole through the wall large enough to allow us to pass into the adjoining place.”’ “Let us make the attempt, my good friend!’ exclaimed Sir Richard Stamford, joyfully. ‘‘ We will work by turns with unrelaxing energy, and I will commence.”’ ‘No, let me begin,” said the bustling commercial trav- eller, who felt almost happy in spite of his imprisoned con- dition. ‘‘ By the way, the man never comes in with a light — does he? ”’ ‘“ Never,” answered the baronet. “That is Just what I had calculated upon,” said Page; and at the same moment he began to insert the pointed end of the solid file into the hard mortar of the cellar wall. The commercial traveller was not strong; but he pos- sessed that admixture of energy, expertness, and skill which sometimes serves a man better than mere physical power. His perseverance, when he was carried away by the excite- ment of any specific pursuit, was indomitable; and this } 7? y] ) spirit on his part now received a marvellous impulse from CONNIE OOOLKS (E(0) m