The Works of George W. M. Reynolds — page 159: what you’re looking at

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

142 REYNOLDS’ WORKS come in a direction diametrically opposite to the seaports whence the Continent was to be attained, unless indeed, fearing pursuit, they had thus come out of their way to throw the pursuers completely out. But despite the prob- ability of such a proceeding, especially as Edmund was now advised by one so shrewd and cunning as Adelaide, Lady Saxondale clung to the belief that they had located them- selves somewhere in Wales. Altogether three weeks had elapsed since the escape of the young nobleman from Doctor Ferney’s house, and it was the commencement of the dark, gloomy month of De- cember. Wearied with her fruitless inquiries, well-nigh worn out and exhausted by her travels and wanderings, Lady Saxondale resolved to return to London. ‘The erratic life which for these three weeks she led had only enabled her to write once to Lord Harold, and to receive one letter in reply. ‘This letter informed her that he had not as yet found an opportunity of carrying into execution his scheme with regard to Madge Somers; for that William Deveril was almost always at the villa, and it was next to impossible to attempt anything while he was there to protect the invalid. Harold however assured Lady Saxondale that he had spies constantly watching the house, that he himself had taken a lodging in the neighbourhood, so as to be on the alert at any moment when an opportunity for action should present itself, and that an old gardener employed on Dev- eril’s premises was secretly in his pay and would give whatsoever information was requisite. In respect to Madge Somers herself, Lord Harold’s letter informed Lady Saxon- dale that the woman had experienced a relapse, that she had been again at death’s door, that she was but slowly re- covering, that the faculty of speech was still absent, and that she had not strength sufhcient to renew her former en- deavours to write anything upon a slate. Thus no positive injury had been sustained by Lady Saxondale’s interests on account of this delay in getting the woman surrepti- tiously spirited off from Deveril’s villa. The receipt of this letter, while she was yet in Montgom- eryshire, put an end to her ladyship’s suspense as to what might be doing in London; and thinking it just possible that some fresh intelligence might have been received at the castle of her son’s movements with his wife and the maid, CONNIE NOOO KS (E(0)