Penny Blood Serial Fiction — page 158: what you’re looking at

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

CHAPTER XV THE POCKETBOOK WE must now return to Mr. Page, whom we left at the moment when he had succeeded in reaching the George and Blue Boar in safety, after his escape from the dungeon in the eastern district of the metropolis. On gaining his chamber at the tavern, he hastened to examine the pocketbook which had fallen into his pos- session in so remarkable a manner; for although it was now three o'clock in the morning, and the commercial traveller was exhausted with the fatigues of the night, his curiosity was such that he could not retire to rest until he had com- pletely gratified it. Fortunately, the materials for a fire were already laid in the grate in his bedroom; and, applying a light to the tagot whereon the coal was piled up, he soon created a blaze that imparted ‘a genial glow to his frame, which a few minutes before was shivering from head to foot. Seating himself in a chair drawn up close to the com- fortable hearth, Mr. Page proceeded to the inspection of the pocketbook. It was old, — very old, — stained with grease in several places, and worn away at the edges. The strap, or fastening, was torn off; and it was tied around with a ribbon so faded and dirty that it was impossible to conjecture of what colour it had originally been. Carefully laying the pocketbook open upon the table, the. commercial traveller found that it contained several papers, very much soiled, worn, and dingy, and these he examined one after another. The first appeared to be a small packet, enclosing some- thing soft and elastic to the touch; and on unfolding the 141 GOMmiicdooks (©)