Penny Blood Serial Fiction — page 89: what you’re looking at

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

CHAPTER VIII APPREHENSIONS LorpD PETERSFIELD was seated in his library at about three o’clock in the afternoon, looking over a number of papers connected with his diplomatic avocations of past years, and wondering whether certain overtures which he had recently been making to the Ministerg then in power would result according to his wishes. His desire was to obtain an important embassy, which, according to rumour, would soon be vacant, and he was furbishing up his rusty ideas by the aid of the papers that he was so deeply conning. In the middle of his occupation a footman entered, and pre- senting him with a card, said, “ This gentleman requests an immediate interview with your lordship.” “Sir John Marston? ” said Lord Petersfield, who seldom suffered himself to be surprised out of his diplomatic gravity. “ Well, let him walk up,” and yet he was far from liking this visit. In a few minutes the baronet made his appearance. He advanced with outstretched hand, but the nobleman re- ceived him somewhat coldly, and eyed him with a certain degree of suspicion. “Many years have elapsed since you and I met, my lord,” said the baronet, gazing upon him as if to mark the extent to which the ravages of time had gone in respect to the noble- man’s person. “It may be many years, Sir John Marston,’’ said Lord Petersfield, with his habitual diplomatic caution, “ but J am not prepared to say how many, indeed I should not like to venture a conjecture without careful consideration.” ‘Your lordship appears to receive me somewhat coldly,” said the baronet. 12 Gomichbooks (E(0)