The Works of George W. M. Reynolds — page 19: what you’re looking at

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

2 REYNOLDS’ WORKS We will pause for a moment to explain how it happened that the count thus made his appearance upon the scene. As the reader is aware, he had left England soon after he was formally accepted as Elizabeth Paton’s suitor, to settle some affairs in the Spanish capital, and procure such doc- uments as would convince the Marquis of Eagledean he was the wealthy individual he represented himself to be. Being desirous to get back again with the least possible delay to England, so as to enjoy the society of his well- beloved Elizabeth, he brought his business at Madrid to a speedy termination, and set off in his travelling-carriage on his return. Scarcely had the banditti quitted the spot from which they bore off Kate Marshall, when the equipage of Count Christoval dashed up. From the muleteers he Jearned an account of what had taken place; and though they were unable to tell him the name of the Englishwoman whose abduction had thus been forcibly effected, they nevertheless made him aware that she was in a state of the most cruel tribulation. The muleteers were well acquainted with the band led by Ramon de Collantes, and, from the information they gave, Don Diego thus discovered that it was the very same which he himself had once commanded. Anxious to perform an act of generosity, he ordered his equipage to await his return; and judging from his topo- sraphical knowledge that the band would be encamped at the extremity of the gorge, he proceeded in that direction, making his appearance under the circumstances already described. When the first greetings had taken place between himself and the lawless tribe, he made a rapid sign for Kate Marshall to retire to a little distance, while he spoke aside to the ban- dit-captain. Ramon de Collantes revered his late chief with truly enthusiastic devotion, and it therefore required but little suasion on Don Diego’s part to induce him to consent to restore Kate Marshall to freedom. The reader can be at no loss to comprehend that it was the name of Don Diego Christoval which Kate was about to pronounce, in the hope that it would have a certain effect in her favour upon Col- lantes, at the very instant when the nobleman himself so timeously made his appearance. The conference between Christoval and Collantes lasted but a few minutes, and when it was over, the former drew Gomichbooks co