The Works of George W. M. Reynolds — page 57: what you’re looking at

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

40 REYNOLDS’ WORKS with such offensive and defensive weapons as came readily to hand, commenced an immediate search over the premises. In consequence of the vastness of the building and the number of rooms, passages, corridors, and nooks that had to be thus searched, the investigation occupied a good hour; and though there were evident traces of a burglarious entry having been really affected, it seemed equally clear that the thieves had got safe off again, for they could not be dis- covered. These burglars were none other than Chiffin the Cannibal and three of his infamous associates. Having seen in a London paper the paragraph relative to the old lord’s illness, which had been copied from the Lincolnshire journal, Chiffin had at once called at Ralph Farefield’s lodgings; but on arriving there, he learned that Mr. Farefield had gone down the previous day into Lincolnshire. Chiffin, thinking that his services might possibly be required, —or perhaps having the intention of being one of the first to pay his respects to the new Lord Saxondale, — set off with three of his asso- ciates into Lincolnshire. But on arriving in the neighbour- hood of the castle and making secret inquiries, they learned that Lady Saxondale had recovered her lost child, that the old lord was dead, and that Ralph Farefield had departed sud- denly after astay of only a very few hours. Whatever Chiffin might have thought relative to the restoration of the infant heir of Saxondaie to its mother’s bosom is of no consequence at present; suffice it to say that finding, as he himself observed, it was ‘‘all up’ with Ralph Farefield, neither he nor his associates were the men to have come down into Lincolnshire for nothing. They accordingly resolved to pay a visit to the interior of the castle, and self-appropriate whatsoever they could lay their hands upon. The burglarious entrance was effected, but as the four villains were creeping along one of the passages, the alarm was suddenly given by Mabel, as above described. ‘To retreat by the same way they had entered was now impos- sible, and hurrying along at random, the burglars reached the western side of the castle. There they paused, listened, and finding that all was still, took a rapid view, by means of a dark lantern, of the place where they had thus halted. A door was standing open a little farther on; they pursued their investigation, and found that it led into the chapel. CONNIE OO KS (Eo) m