The Works of George W. M. Reynolds — page 199: what you’re looking at

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

182 REYNOLDS’ WORKS a stone bench against one of the walls. At this instant Lord Saxondale entered the chapel, and the moment his eyes lighted upon the Cannibal, an ejaculation of aston- ishment escaped his lips, for he at once recognized the man who had delivered him from imprisonment at Doctor Fer- ney’s house. The looks of all present instantaneously settled upon the young nobleman, his mother being as much astonished as the rest, for she knew not that Chiffin was the author of his release, neither was she aware that her son and that ruffian could have ever met before. “Now, then,’ growled the Cannibal, as an idea suddenly struck him, “ you will perhaps let me go, when his lordship tells you that I have done him a service in my time; and it was natural enow that I should come here to ask for a recompense. ’”’ “ Ah, that voice!’ cried Lucilla, who at the moment en- tered the chapel, she having kept completely in the rear of the living stream. “ That voice! Yes, it is the same! ”’ The domestics at once understood what Lucilla meant, and the head constable glanced toward her ladyship for instructions, or at least for some suggestion what course was now to be adopted, inasmuch as her son did not deny Chiffin’s assertion that he lay under an obligation to him. “ You hold your tongue, young ’ooman,” said the Canni- bal, addressing himself to Lucilla. ‘“ You never saw or heard me before, I know. And his lordship will very soon tell you all that I am a highly respectable genelman, al- though somewhat under a cloud at present.”’ | “Yes, it is perfectly true,’ exclaimed Edmund, “ that this man did me a great service.”’ Then thinking that it would seem very odd if he did not specifically mention what it was, he added, ‘‘ When I was shut up in a certain place the other day, he helped me out of it.”’ ‘“‘ All this appears so very extraordinary,’ observed the head constable of Gainsborough, “‘ that it must be calmly and deliberately looked into. In the first place, I should like to know under what circumstances the man was discovered within these walls? ”’ ‘‘T will explain,” said the steward. ‘In consequence of something which took place a few weeks back, | have con- sidered it to be my duty to visit the shut-up apartments on this side of the building every evening; and as there are a CONNIE OO KS (E(0)