Penny Blood Serial Fiction — page 294: what you’re looking at

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

TERRIBLE AND STRANGE REVELATIONS 277 place, then, I must inform you that my father was skilled in chemistry above all things. He was acquainted with many wonderful secrets in that branch, and could compound poisons of the most deadly nature. Oh, my father was a terrible man, though I say it!’ she added, with an unaffected shuddering. ‘““Indeed!. But go on,’ exclaimed Page; ‘“‘ you are not answerable for any of his sins, you know.” “Thank God, I am not!’ cried the young woman, ener- getically. “‘ My life has not been very regular, I confess; but such things as he has done — no, no — never! ” “Don’t vex and annoy yourself, Julia,” said the commer- cial traveller, soothingly. “I am dying with impatience to hear what your father did. Pray go on.”’ “ First let us speak of his chemical knowledge,’’ continued Mrs. Page, her excitement almost instantaneously passing away, for she was naturally of a cold and imperturbable disposition. ‘No man was more expert in that branch than him. He used to compound drugs which produced abortion with ease and never failed in their effects; and all the old midwives in London patronized him.” “ God bless my soul — how shocking!’ exclaimed Page, involuntarily. “It is as I tell you,” said Julia. ‘ One woman in par- ticular — a Mrs. Lindley, who has a large establishment in Fore Street, Lambeth — was accustomed to purchase great quantities of him. He likewise compounded a poison, one drop of which placed upon the tongue of an infant child produced immediate death, leaving an appearance as if the poor little being had perished of ordinary convulsions. The midwives used to patronize this mixture also.”’ ‘There must be a vast amount of crime in London that I never dreamed of,’’ observed Page, shaking his head solemnly. * No doubt of it!” ejaculated Julia; then instantaneously resuming her wonted calmness of tone and manner, she said, “ But the worst —if anything can be worse than what I have already revealed to you—is to come. My father invented a certain poison which he called the ‘ Heir’s Friend.’ Do you understand? ”’ _“ Not exactly,” returned Page. ‘‘ How do you gpell the first word? ”’ ) GOmiGcdooks (C(©)