The Works of George W. M. Reynolds — page 158: what you’re looking at

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

THE PURSUER AND THE FUGITIVES 141 ‘“ Doubtless,” said Lady Saxondale to herself, “‘ they will seek some profound seclusion, where they hope to remain undiscovered and unmolested until Edmund shall be of age and then become his own master. Perhaps they may go upon the Continent, and that will render matters all the more difficult for me’ to disentangle. But I am not to be beaten; and now the first thing to be done 1s to get, if possible, upon the track which they took when so stealthily and hurriedly leaving the castle.”’ As they were no longer at the castellated mansion, there was nothing to prevent Lady Saxondale herself from pro- ceeding thither; and accordingly the domestics were much astonished when she suddenly arrived in a post-chaise, un- attended and alone. It was not, however, Lady Saxon- dale’s purpose to tarry for any length of time at the castle; she immediately instituted inquiries amongst the servants in respect to the mode of Lord Saxondale’s departure with his wife. She learned that it was about one in the afternoon, three days previously, that he had arrived theve in a post- chaise, which was immediately dismissed, that having been closeted for about an hour with Adelaide, he had given in- structions for the carriage to be got in readiness, and that the equipage had borne him, his wife, and the maid to Gainsborough, whence it had been sent back from the hotel at which they had halted in that town. Armed with this information, to Gainsborough did Lady Saxondale forthwith repair, and continuing her inquiries, she ascertained that the fugitives had departed in a post- chaise for Chesterfield. Once upon the track, Lady Saxon- dale was determined not to abandon it, and she accord- ingly continued her travels. For several days did she thus journey, tracing the fugitives from Chester to Derby, from Derby to Shrewsbury, from Shrewsbury into Montgomery- shire, and there the trail was lost. Notwithstanding the minuteness and the unwearied perseverance with which her inquiries were followed up, she was thrown completely off the scent. But inasmuch as she had reached a point where the clue suddenly ceased, she came to the conclusion that those whom she sought were not very far distant. Perhaps they had settled somewhere in that part of Wales? At all events, she ceased to fear that they had gone abroad; for if such had been their intention, they would not have CONNIEDOOKS (EO)