The Works of George W. M. Reynolds — page 271: what you’re looking at

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

254 REYNOLDS’ WORKS the count, Adolphus, and Francis Paton, who all five forth- with ensconced themselves in the breakfast-parlour leading out of the hall, and there they remained in the dark until the time for action arrived. Of what followed, the reader is already aware. The whole scheme, as arranged by the marquis, ended in success, and without the intervention of the police, — an alternative which he had been so anxious to avoid. But he did not anticipate to encounter in one of the ruffians Chiffin the Cannibal, whom he presumed to be at the time far away across the sea, on the American soil. We may now resume the thread of our narrative, and describe what took place between the prisoners and their captors in the parlour. ‘You have been taken,’’ said the Marquis of Eagledean, addressing the two prisoners, “in an attempt to carry off an unfortunate invalid woman, whom your knife’ — and here he fixed his eyes upon the Cannibal — “ nearly devoted to death. This is a proceeding of so extraordinary as well as outrageous a nature that it must have had no unimportant instigation. As I have already observed, we shall deal with you according to your answers to my questions.”’ ‘“ And what uf we confess everything? ’’ demanded Spider Bul, eagerly. The Marquis of Eagledean did not immediately reply. His soul revolted from the idea of again letting loose the Can- nibal upon society; and yet when he reflected upon all the reasons which his daughter Elizabeth Paton had advanced against making an enemy of Chiffin at that time when he was entrapped by her stratagem at Edenbridge Park, he felt that he could not do otherwise than let the man go. But while reduced to this alternative, he made up his mind on the present occasion to adopt some measure to ensure the ruffian’s departure from England. “If you confess CNET WANE he accordingly said, mn answer to Spider Bill’s question, ‘“‘ no harm shall befall you.”’ ‘And does that apply to me, my lord?’’ asked Chifhn, in a sullen, growling voice. ‘“ Yes,’”’? was the response. i Well, then, here goes for confession,’ exclaimed the Cannibal, with a savage exultation. ‘ It was your lordship’s own nephew, Lord Harold Staunton, which got up all this business.”’ ) CONNIE DOO KS (E(0)