The Works of George W. M. Reynolds — page 155: what you’re looking at

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

CHAPTER XIII THE PURSUER AND THE FUGITIVES THREE weeks had now elapsed since the liberation of Lord Saxondale from Doctor Ferney’s house in Conduit Street, Hanover Square. The physician, on discovering the flight of the young nobleman at an early hour on the ensuing morning, had sped off to Saxondale House to ac- quaint her ladyship with the circumstance, and to assure her that he himself was perfectly innocent of any connivance in the matter. Lady Saxondale was at first stupefied, for she saw at a glance what an immense advantage the incident would give her daughter-in-law Adelaide, in case Edmund should return to his wife and in all things make common cause with her. Her ladyship did not reproach Doctor Ferney. She knew his character too well not to be at once convinced that he gave her the right version of Edmund’s escape, — the evidence being that it was effected by some person or persons entering the house in the night. But even without such evidence, Lady Saxondale was well aware that the physician would not deceive her, and that if even altering his mind, and refusing any longer to keep Edmund a prisoner, he would deal candidly with her. That the Count de St. Gerard had by some means suc- ceeded in tracing out the place to which Edmund was re- moved, and that through this young nobleman’s interven- tion her son had been rescued from confinement, Lady Saxondale did not doubt. But little it mattered by whom or by what means the release was effected, since the mis- chief was done; and Lady Saxondale was not the woman to lose valuable time in speculations on that point,-nor in vain regrets when some positive mode of action was re- quired. For if the reader will bear in mind those expla- 138 & CONNIE DOO KS (E(0)