The Works of George W. M. Reynolds — page 174: what you’re looking at

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

THE MASQUERADE DRESS 157 “Why was it thought so? ”’ “Oh, for several reasons. In the first place,’ continued Lucilla, ‘‘ what could they have possibly been doing in the neighbourhood between nine and ten at night, unless they were coming to the castle? They were stopping at a hotel at Gainsborough at the time. Then again, what could they have come into Lincolnshire at all for, except to see her ladyship, or else in the hope of finding Lord Saxondale down here? Perhaps, my lady, his lordship may have turned neglectful in London — _ But there 1s yet another reason why I think they were coming to the castle.’’ ‘“‘ And that reason?” said Adeloide. “Why, my lady, the very day before the one in the evening of which the murder took place, a post-chaise drove up to the castle, a lady got out, and her maid remained in the vehicle. The lady gave no name, and said it was useless, as she ‘was not known to Lady Saxondale, but she had a long interview with her ladyship, and then went away. It never struck any of us at the time that this lady and her maid who were murdered might have been the very same that came to the castle; but some days after the inquest, when we read in the county papers full particulars and descrip- tions, we thought they must be the same. Of course you know it was not for her ladyship to go to the inquest and say anything about the matter, because it was rather a deli- cate subject in respect to my lord; and whether or not the females were the same who called at the castle, and whether or not they were again coming here in the evening when they were killed, had nothing to do with the circumstance of the murder. Poor things! they were no doubt re by some ruffians.”’ “ No doubt of it,” observed Adelaide. ““T hope your ladyship will not mention that I have been talking so much on the subject,” said Lucilla, who dearly loved a gossip, but who now began to reflect that she had been speaking very frankly and familiarly indeed to Lord Saxondale’s wife upon a topic which was rather of a delicate nature. ‘“ Pear not, Lucilla,’ responded Adelaide; ‘it is entirely my own fault that you have been led into these explana- tions.”’ Having thus spoken, Adelaide slowly ascended the stair- CONNIE LOOKS (F(©)