The Works of George W. M. Reynolds — page 400: what you’re looking at

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

FRESH PERILS 383 the knife in one hand and a candle in the other, her whole appearance suddenly denoting the natural ferocity of her disposition when her choler was once excited. ‘‘ Now if that she-devil, who I always hated and also suspected, should attempt any of her nonsense, I’ll plunge this deep down into her heart,’’ and she brandished the knife menac- ingly, her countenance, which was by no means bad-looking, being now distorted with the workings of diabolical passions. “Go with her, Jack,’’ said Daniel Coffin, who was still employed in binding the baronet’s limbs. “ I must make this fellow fast, so that he may give no trouble when he comes to himself. But I say, Sal, —and you too, Jack, — mind, no murder up above there. If you find Nell Gibson, which I don’t suppose you will, as the place is so quiet, but if you do, I say, make her your prisoner; because we will wait till all the other fellows come back before dealing with either her or this baronet here.’’ But before he had even finished speaking Sally Melmoth had ascended the stairs, closely followed by Jack the Found- ling. On reaching the top they pushed open the great clumsy door, and bursting in, they were struck with amaze- ment on beholding a young creature of about seventeen, and of exquisite beauty, sleeping tranquilly upon the wretched couch spread on the floor. We should now observe that when the fair stranger had relapsed into a state of unconsciousness, in the manner already described, Nell Gibson had done her best to restore her to life. She soon succeeded, but so weak and exhausteci was the lovely damsel in consequence of the fall she had sustained from the coach-top that she only awoke from a state of insensibility to fall into one of profound slumber. Finding that she thus slept calmly, Nell Gibson had returned to her seat at the table,where she regaled herself with another glass of brandy. The effects of the liquor which she had imbibed so copiously soon exhibited themselves in a deep drowsiness, and she fell fast asleep in a sort of nook, or recess, where the table stood. So sound was her slumber that she had not heard the arrival of the Hangman’s party, nor even the noise of the outrage upon the baronet in the room below; but when the door of the upper chamber was burst open by Sally Melmoth and Jack the Foundling, Nell Gibson awoke from her nap. CONNIE DOOKS (C(O)