The Works of George W. M. Reynolds — page 31: what you’re looking at

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

14 . REYNOLDS’ WORKS which, when the idea is first conceived, seizes upon even the most unprincipled and unscrupulous, but he was likewise afraid of involving himself in the trammels of the law. His plan, thereiore, was to consummate the entire iniquity, not with his own hands, but through the medium of agents; and as he purposed to remain in London and show himself daily and hourly at his usual places of resort, while the tragedy was being enacted in the country, he felt assured that even though suspicion might seem to point to him as the author of the atrocity, yet it would be impossible to bring the crime home to his door. As for what public opinion might surmise or say, he was utterly reckless; it was suffi- cient for him to destroy the barrier that at present existed between himself and the splendid heritage for which he was prepared to plunge his soul into crime. But the plans and calculations of-this wicked young man did not stop here; for he reasoned that if the son and heir was once removed, the loss would either break old Lord Saxondale’s heart, or, if he should survive it, then another crime, perpetrated under circumstances as guarded and as precautionary as the first, would at once sweep away every obstacle to the fulfilment of his hopes. As we have already said, the requisite agents for Ralph Farefield’s purposes did not appear to be wanting; and out of the money drawn irom the bankers he had still enough left to bribe them. Besides, the fourth year was just passed, and he had another three hundred pounds to receive. The means for executing his plans were therefore in his possession. Amongst the desperate characters whom he had sought out from the vile dens in London was one whom he specially intended to be the principal agent in the tragic enterprise. This was a ruffian whose name was Chiffin, and who was called the Cannibal. The origin of this odious nickname may be explained in a few words. Chiffin was the son of respectable parents, who reared him well, gave him a decent education, and apprenticed him to a trade; but when seven- teen or eighteen, he ran away and went to sea. The ship in which he embarked was engaged in the South American trade; and when crossing the Pacific it was overtaken by a violent tempest, so that in a very short time it became a complete wreck. The greater portion of the crew were drowned, but some six or seven men succeeded in getting CONNIE OO KS (E(0)