Penny Blood Serial Fiction — page 244: what you’re looking at

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

MR. PAGE’S RESEARCHES 227 for he came down and bolted the front door after me, as was his wont — ”’ ‘Ah! I remember that the door was bolted inside, when I first entered the house,’’ exclaimed Page. ‘‘ But how did you obtain admittance — ”’ “Rather let me ask how you got into this place in the first instance? ”’ cried the girl, now surveying the commercial traveller with looks indicative of mistrust. “ T will satisfy you on that head, Julia,’’ was his immediate answer. ‘“‘ It was by the back way that I came hither — ”’ “Ah! then you are one of the gentlemen who escaped from the cellar in the next house?’”’ exclaimed the young woman, her countenance clearing up. ‘‘ Well— don’t be afraid — I am not going to betray you. But you asked me how I got into the place, since there was no one — living,”’ she added, with a cold shudder, “ to open the door. Why, I did not come back until about eight o’clock this morning,”’ she continued, ‘“ and then I was accosted in the court by Briggs — ”’ ““ Who’s Briggs? ” demanded the commercial traveller. “The man that keeps the house next door,’ was the answer. “Is he a great stout fellow, with an immense wen upon the crown of his bald head? ”’ inquired Page. “ Just so,” replied the girl; and the commercial traveller learned accordingly that the individual alluded to was the same who had made him write the letter to Mr. Hodson, and who had given him the glass of gin. ‘ Well,’ resumed Julia, ‘“‘ this man Briggs called me into his room next door, told me that a couple of gentlemen had escaped out of his cellar during the night, and begged me not to say a word about it in the neighbourhood. Of course it was no business of mine; and, as I wanted to get into my own house, Briggs let me pass through the opening which you had made in the wall. This was the way that I got in, and, on going up-stairs, I found my father a corpse in his bed. In the course of the day I noticed that the front door had been unbolted and unlocked, and I was surprised. But now you have explained the mystery.” “ Was your father very rich, Julia?”’ asked Page, fixing upon her a searching look. “Rich! ”’ she ejaculated, with an ironical laugh. ECORMICLOOO cS (C(O)