Penny Blood Serial Fiction — page 172: what you’re looking at

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

LADY BESS’S HISTORY 155 on my way to a tradesman’s shop to purchase something, when an elderly gentleman walking in front of me, while pulling out his handkerchief, drew forth his pocketbook at the same time. The next moment it was in my hands. The rapid glance which I flung around showed me that the circumstance was unperceived by the few persons passing in that street. The pocketbook was concealed beneath my shawl, and I walked firmly on. The old gentleman speedily missed it, felt in all his pockets, looked back in dismay, and, accosting me, asked civilly whether I had happened to notice that he had just dropped anything. I replied in the negative, and continued my way. Regaining my lodgings, I examined the contents of the pocketbook. Two hundred pounds in bank-notes, and all for small sums. This circum- stance filled me with exultation, — an exultation indeed in which was absorbed all lingering sense of the criminality of the ways which I was pursuing. Alas, that I should be compelled to say this. ‘““{ hastened to change several of the notes at different tradesmen’s shops in the neighbourhood, thus converting them into gold. The next day I saw an advertisement in the newspaper Offering a reward for the restoration of the pocket- book and its contents, but there was no intimation that the numbers of the notes were known, and the magnitude of the reward convinced me that they were not. Feeling now secure in the possession of my treasure, I reflected what _ course I should pursue. I dearly longed to have a quiet little comfortable suburban residence of my own, and I had now the means of obtaining one. I again bethought myself of the cottage where the earliest years of my life were passed, so I set off to look at it once more. A bill pasted against the front door intimated that it was to let, and where intelli- gence could be obtained as to terms. I proceeded to the office of the house agent whose address I thus learned, and having ready money to pay down as an advance of rent, I was accepted as a tenant. Then I proceeded to furnish it, but in an economical manner, for I had a great deal to do with this money. I remitted the twenty pounds, through a London banker, to the mayor of the Pyrenean village, accompanied by a letter of thanks for the kindness I had received at his hands and those of his family; and when my house was fitted up and I had engaged a servant — this CONnNIEDOOKS (C(O)