The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 220: what you’re looking at

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

THE PREFECTURE OF POLICE 197 ‘But have you already any settled plan which you are pursuing, Miss Linden? ” inquired Loftus. ‘“‘T have ascertained the whole geography of the immense range of buildings which constitute the prefecture,’ replied the lady. ‘‘ The old charwoman, yielding to heavy bribes and to the still more munificent promises which I made her, has been won over to my interests. It was she who supplied me with such implements as I required, and she also de- scribed to me the situation of every part of the entire struc- ture. here is not a room, nor a corridor, nor a courtyard, the topography of which remains unknown to me. ‘This knowledge made me aware that if I succeeded in escaping from the windows of my own room, I should have to descend into a courtyard where detection and arrest would be inevitable. I therefore resolved — on learning that my neighbour (1 mean yourself) was an Englishman — to penetrate into this room and achieve my flight by means of one of those casements. There is no sentinel in the court below. I know all its outlets, and with a courageous spirit to succour us, we may be free long ere the first ray of dawn shall glimmer in the eastern horizon.” ‘“T presume,” said Loftus, glancing upon the various articles laid upon the table, ‘‘ that we are to file away the bars of the window, descend by the silken ladder into the courtyard, and make use of those skeleton keys for any door that may bar our progress? ”’ ‘‘ Such is the course which I propose,” answered Laura. ‘“‘ But this bottle of yellow fluid?” said Jocelyn, inquiringly. ‘‘ It is nitric acid to moisten the iron bars, and render the filing of them more easy. But quick! quick!” she again cried, with petulant impatience; “ let us to work! ”’ “It is now half an hour past midnight,’ observed Loftus, consulting his watch; ‘‘ let us see if we have sufficient time before us to execute all that is to be done.” Thus speaking, he gently and noiselessly opened one of the casements; and holding a candle close to the bars, he examined them attentively. “Yes, Miss Linden,” he observed, “I will undertake to remove a couple of those bars in two hours, — an hour for each. Then, judging from your ideas of the topography of the place, shall we have sufficient time to accomplish all that may aiterward remain to be done ere daylight? ”’ ~~ CoOnnicloookKSs () (CO)