The Works of George W. M. Reynolds — page 42: what you’re looking at

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

EXPLANATIONS 25 ant. Through the recommendation of a shopkeeper in the town, — who little knew, however, to what a place he was sending a servant, — Paquetta obtained the situation; and during those six months that she was there, she saw nothing to excite her suspicions as to the evil character of her master and mistress. On the particular night to which we are refer- ring, Paquetta overheard some observation between the inn- keeper and his wife, immediately after Kate Marshall’s arrival, which suddenly filled her with the darkest misgiv- ing. She however had presence of mind sufficient to conceal the suspicion which had thus been engendered, but she resolved to remain on the watch. Though the words which had caught her ears were vague and indistinct, she never- theless felt assured that Miss Marshall’s life was menaced, and this idea, agitating in her mind, will account for those looks of interest which she fixed upon Kate when laying the supper-cloth, and which Kate mistook for regards of curi- osity. At one moment Paquetta thought of flying from the hostelry and hastening to the town, to give information to the police, but at that late hour she feared to venture through the forest. She moreover dreaded lest she should be pur- sued and overtaken by the landlord, who in that case would have secured his own safety by making away with her; and in addition to these reasons for abandoning her first thought of flight was the consideration that she might, after all, be mistaken, and had put a wrong meaning on the few vague and indistinct words which her ear had caught. So she tarried at the hostelry, and kept upon the watch. After Kate had been conducted up to the bedchamber, the girl listened to what was going on, but without being observed, and her worst fears were speedily confirmed., She heard her master speak to the muleteers in a way which corroborated her dark suspicions; she caught the whispered explanation which the landlord gave of how the plan was to be carried out. “ He said,” quoting Paquetta’s own words in giving her deposition to the alcalde, ‘‘ care must be taken that I should obtain no inkling of what was going on. It was therefore too dangerous to cut the Englishwoman’s throat, as it would be impossible to efface the stains of blood. He accordingly declared his intention of stealing into her chamber when she was asleep, and smothering her with a bolster. This, he said, CONNIE DOOKS (FO)