The Works of George W. M. Reynolds — page 96: what you’re looking at

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

THE MISER | 79 money and resign my guardianship. So this little extra civility, Mrs. :;Webber, will cost me nothing; or I should say, it is only a few shillings laid out at uncommon good interest,”’ and the old miser rubbed his hands chuckingly as he thus spoke. “And who knows, sir,’ inquired Mrs. Webber, “ but what Mrs. Rayner was the lady who was killed the other day by the railway accident? ”’ ‘““ Not likely,” answered the lawyer, “ because Mrs. Rayner would have been sure to have papers about her to identify her; whereas it is very evident from the newspaper reports that the lady who was killed, and who was represented as unknown, had no such papers at all.’’ ‘““ And yet,’’ remarked the housekeeper, ‘‘ I saw in to-day’s paper — which the pot-boy lent me when he brought the pint of beer for mine and Alice’s dinner — that the lady has not been recognized or claimed by any one.”’ ‘“* Recognized indeed,” echoed Pollard; ‘‘ how can a person with her face smashed to pieces be possibly recognized? However, if Mrs. Rayner don’t come in a day or two — and if I don’t hear from her — I shall really begin to think you must be right, and that perhaps after all the unknown lady of the railway accident was my ward Louisa.”’ ‘“ And suppose she’s dead, sir?’ said the housekeeper, inquiringly. | ‘“ Ah! if she’s dead,’’ responded Pollard, ‘‘ I must find out her deceased husband’s relations, and hand them over the money, for she has got no relations of her own.”’ ‘ Ah, sir, it’s like your strict integrity,” exclaimed Mrs. Webber. “I heard of your character in Liverpool the day I applied for the situation, and all that was told me made me indeed most anxious to get it.”’ “Yes, yes, Mrs. Webber,” resumed Pollard, “‘ the money shall be righteously dealt with. There it is,” he added, glancing toward the safe; then, instantaneously perceiving that he had inadvertently let drop an admission which he was never in the habit of making to a soul, — and into which he could only have been thus led by his confidence in his new housekeeper, — he hastened to say, ‘‘ I mean the money is forthcoming, — not here, of course, — at the banker’s.”’ “ Oh, to be sure, sir,” replied Mrs. Webber; ‘‘ I know you keep very little ready money in the house, and for my part I GOomiGcnooks (FO)