Penny Blood Serial Fiction — page 86: what you’re looking at

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

MR. GUNTHORPE’S VISITS 69 you may take. I see that you are gifted with the soundest sense and the most mature judgment.”’ “Be assured, sir,’ responded the lady, still under the influence of that unaccountable power which Mr. Gunthorpe had in so brief a space of time acquired over her, ‘I shall be only too happy to have a gentleman of your wisdom and - goodness to succour and counsel me.”’ ‘And now one more word,” said Mr. Gunthorpe, looking her very hard in the face. ‘“ You suspect who your mother is: have you likewise found any clue to the name of your father? ”’ Lady Bess started at this question, and she gazed upon Mr. Gunthorpe with amazement and intense curiosity. How did he know that she was ever ignorant of her father’s name? Not a word to that effect had been spoken since he entered the house; not a word to that effect had she ever uttered to Henrietta; not a word to that effect had she ever breathed to a soul who, so far as she could see, might have mentioned it to Mr. Gunthorpe. How then could he know it? Who was he, this Mr. Gunthorpe, that had become so suddenly interested in her affairs, and evidently knew more than she could dream of? . ‘‘ Ah, I see what is passing in your mind,” he said, ‘‘ but you must not become the questioner now. Perhaps the time will shortly come when I shall have strange things to tell you, but that moment is not now present. Again I ask you, Elizabeth, — and I conjure you to respond, — have you any idea who is your father? ”’ ‘Wait one moment, sir,’ she said, and immediately left the room. In less than a minute she returned, bearing a letter which she handed to him, saying, “ Read this. It was written to me from Dover, by the Marquis of Villebelle, who met Sir John Marston there.”’ ‘Ah, Sir John Marston at Dover?’’ observed Mr. Gun- thorpe, as he opened the letter. Then, having hastily scanned its contents, he slowly folded it up again, returned it to Elizabeth, and began to pace to and fro in great agitation. She watched him without saying a word, for there was something in his looks and his manner which made her feel a species of awe, as if there were sanctity in his emotions, — a sanctity upon which she dared not obtrude. GOmicdoo <S (C(O)