The Works of George W. M. Reynolds — page 284: what you’re looking at

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

MOTHER AND SON 267 for he had run all the way from the Regent’s Park to Sax- ondale House. “You know not how?” ejaculated her ladyship. ‘‘ But what are the circumstances? Teil me all you do know. Leave me not in suspense.’ | ‘Everything was carried out in the manner previously settled, up to a certain point. The vehicle was in readiness, the fellows entered the house, they remained there for two or three minutes. I thought it was all right, when all of a sudden the bedroom window was flung open, and out sprang one of them, a gentleman, whom I could not recognize, making a clutch at him as he thus precipitated himself from the casement.” “ But the man — was he captured? Was he killed? Or did he escape, and tell you what had happened?” and as Lady Saxondale put these questions in a hurried tone, her countenance exhibited all the tortures of suspense. ‘He told me nothing; he sped wildly away,” answered Harold, ‘‘ and I, seeing that all was lost, took my own de- parture from the spot.” ‘And the other men, what became of them?’ “ T cannot tell. One thing is certain, it was not Chiffin who thus made his escape. I fear, therefore, that he and the other agent whom we employed were made prison- ers.” ‘“‘ Good heavens! what is to be done?” ejaculated Lady Saxondale. ‘‘ If those men have been taken captive, — per- haps by the police lying in wait, — they will reveal every- thing. They will say that they were engaged by you — ”’ But all in a moment Lady Saxondale experienced a relief, arising from the selfish reflection which suddenly struck her, that her name could not possibly have been mentioned in the business. At least Harold had all along promised that this secrecy should be observed, and had assured her that he had faithfully kept his pledge. “ You, at all events, have nothing to fear,’ he hastened to say, ‘‘ so far as the night’s work is concerned. Of course you know best how far and in what way the woman Madge Somers can compromise you, should she recover the faculty of speech. But |— what am I to do? I dare not return to my lodging. Those fellows know where I lived, and if they confess who was their employer — ”’ CONnNIEDOOKS (C(O)