The Works of George W. M. Reynolds — page 246: what you’re looking at

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

THE FISHERS OF MEN 229 and the deductions he had thence drawn, he could not help experiencing a sensation of disgust and loathing to think that the actions of individuals should be so minutely watched, even to the compromise of female reputations, by the myr- midons of the Genevese law. He also remarked, in the course of his meditations, that the police book did not seem to have contained any memorandum of the hiring of Kobolt and his gang to carry off the two females from the villa, and it was therefore to be supposed that the police had remained altogether in the dark upon the subject. As for the two ladies whom Malpas and Curzon really intended to have carried off on that occasion, who could they be if not two of the Misses Owen? While thus pursuing his reflections, our hero reached the vicinage of the lake, and dismissing the hackney-coach, he walked down to the bank of that inland sea. It was now near eleven o’clock. The night was tolerably clear above, for the moon was shining, but a mist hung upon the water and the surrounding shore, involving all the features of the lake in obscurity. Advancing along the margin of the water, Loftus pres- ently reached an old jetty which was the index of the very spot for which he was searching, in pursuance of the hint he had received from Maravelli. The gloom was now deepen- ing, the mist from the lake increasing in density and spread- ing so rapidly all around and high above that the pure azure of the heaven was veiled and the moon was at length only seen dimly like a pale lamp that is extinguishing. Jocelyn paused near the jetty and listened, but no sound save the rippling of the waters met his ear. For upwards of ten min- utes did he remain, leaning against one of the huge piles of the jetty, wondering to himself whether Kobolt and his men would come thither that night. At length, finding that no one approached, he thought that he would return to Maravelli’s and seek them on the following night at the public-house where they were accustomed to meet, and which the physician had proposed to indicate to him. But just as he was about to quit the spot where he had been standing, he heard the sounds of approaching footsteps and at once passed underneath the jetty. Three men soon emerged from the deepening gloom, carrying some ominous-looking 1m- plements over their shoulders, and Jocelyn at once felt ECORNICLOO <S) (CO) am