Penny Blood Serial Fiction — page 245: what you’re looking at

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

228 THE COURT OF LONDON “* Ah! I see— my suspicions are confirmed — he was a miser,’’ exclaimed the commercial traveller. ‘“ But you don’t know — you haven’t any idea where he was accus- tomed to conceal his wealth? ’”’ and again he bent his eyes significantly on the young woman. | ‘“ Not I, indeed! ” she observed, in a strange tone. “‘ Never- theless,’”’ she added, almost immediately, ‘ there must have been a large quantity — ” ““Of gold somewhere—eh?” cried Page, chuckling: “Yes, yes, you are right there, my dear. And now, what will you do for me if I help you to — to — this treasure? ”’ he demanded, hesitating whether he should impart his secret to her, or devise some scheme to become the sole possessor of the wealth to which he supposed the scrap of paper to allude. “What will I do for you?” she exclaimed. “ Anything you like.” “It would be a pity to divide it,’’ remarked Page, again eying her significantly. ‘ A sum of money; that is a fortune in itself, only makes two poor competencies when split: into equal shares.” “Pray explain yourself,’ observed the young woman, impatiently. ‘““T suppose — that is, I hope—HI believe —I presume you are a single woman, Julia? ’’ said the commercial trav- eller, endeavouring to ogle her tenderly. “Oh, that I am!” she exclaimed, flippantly. ‘“ What next? ”’ “Nothing particular now — at least on that point,” returned Page. ‘‘ But we must at once pass on to another important feature in the business which we have in hand together. Is this your father’s writing?’’ he demanded, with a cunning look, as he produced the scrap of paper. Julia took the documentary fragment in her hand, glanced rapidly over it, and, with a sudden animation of counte- nance, exclaimed, ‘‘ Yes —this is the old man’s writing: and now we may be rich for the remainder of our days! ”’ ‘“T thought so!” ejaculated Page, delighted at finding his fondest hopes thus completely fulfilled. ‘“‘ Come, let us visit the cellar without delay, and inspect the treasure. I will then tell you why I asked whether you were married or not.” GoOmichdooks (E(@)