Penny Blood Serial Fiction — page 133: what you’re looking at

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

116 REYNOLDS’ WORKS name I should take; for if passing as a married woman I could not, of course, retain my maiden name of Paton. On the table in my room at the hotel to which I had removed were some English novels, placed there for the use of those guests who chose to avail themselves of such reading. I thought to myself that I would leave my future name to a sort of lottery, and taking up one of the volumes, I determined to adopt the first name that should meet my eye, if it were not an ugly one. In this manner did I come to dub myself Mrs. Chandos. It was by this name that I now had my passport made out; and on the following morn- ing, at nine o’clock, I took my place in the coupé of the diligence for Havre. This compartment of a French stage- coach is made for three persons, and my two companions were elderly French ladies who were also going to Havre. I was well pleased with their companionship, for they were very agreeable persons, and the day passed quickly enough, notwithstanding the tediousness of travelling by diligence on the Continent. “Tt was in the middle of the night, and while we were still at a considerable distance from Havre de Grace, that the diligence was suddenly attacked by a body of armed robbers, who were so numerous and so formidable that resistance on the part of the male passengers, the guard, or the postilions was out of the question. It was in a lonely spot where the deed took place, and the banditti went to work in a most deliberate manner. They unpacked all the boxes to search for money, jewelry, or other valuables, and my five thousand pounds, which I had deposited inside my trunk, was appropriated by the plunderers. In short, they carried off everything worth taking from all the passengers, — purses, watches, even to the very earrings of the females. The two elderly ladies who were my companions were ter- ribly frightened, but I retained my presence of mind;_ for although deeply annoyed and afflicted by the loss of my money, yet I saw that no attempt would be made upon our lives. When the robbers had done their work they suffered the diligence to proceed, and in the morning I thus arrived, absolutely penniless, at Havre.” X Gomiecbooks (eC)