The Works of George W. M. Reynolds — page 158: what you’re looking at

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

A GLANCE AT THE PAST - 141 sulleniy. ‘“‘ We have done a few things together, and you have always been fair and tinier ae there’s no denying that; and now, what next? ”’ “You will Bele ve me, then, if I make you a certain promise? ’’ said Madge, interrogatively. “ Yes, I think | ee replied Chitin, ‘‘ for we all know you are a strange kind of a creature, and there’s some of the folks down at Sol Patch’s really fancies you are a witch. I don’t mean no offence, Madge — ”’ ‘‘ Witches need not have recourse to the means I adopt for a living,” rejoined the woman, abruptly. ‘“ But about this promise of mine. Ii | tell you that to-morrow evening at nine o’clock I will bring you a hundred pounds to the Billy Goat, or anywhere else you choose to appoint, will you be satisfied for the loss of your booty this mght? And I think you ought to be,” she added, ere he had time to answer, “for it will be a hundred pounds earned by you without risk, whereas if this work had been done to-night there would have been risk, although everything was so nicely arranged to make all traces disappear.”’ 6, Well, if | was sure of having the blunt to-morrow night,” said Chiffin, slowly suffering himself to be enihed sare | shouldn’t care much about that young fellow being allowed to work clean off under my very nose, as one may say.” “Then you shall have the hundred pounds to-morrow night, Chiffin,’ said Madge Somers, with the confidence of one who knows that. the promise will be fulfilled. ‘And now you will tell me,” asked the Cannibal, “ what the deuce all this means, why you dropped the candle and called out, why you pushed me from the room and banged the door as a signal that I wasn’t wanted, and why you let the young chap escape at all.’’ ‘Did you not see that he opened his eyes all in a moment, just as we were bending over the bed? ”’ asked Madge. “ No, that .I didn’t,” replied Chiffin, gruffly, ‘* and if he did open his eyes like that, then all I can say is, I can’t believe mine, because it seemed to me that he was asleep as sound as a rock.” “ Well, then,” rejoined Madge, doggedly, “‘ I can tell you that he did. I was closest to him and I saw him open his eyes.” CONNIE DOOkKS (C(O)