The Works of George W. M. Reynolds — page 95: what you’re looking at

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

CHAPTER VIII NED RUSSELL AurHoucH the captain-general of Catalonia had the power to suspend the execution of Ned Russell’s sentence for three weeks, he had not granted a respite for that full period, but merely indefinitely. Don Diego Christoval was in reality somewhat alarmed at this circumstance, but in his letters to Kate he had not chosen to increase her anguish by men- tioning it; he however determined, as the reader has seen, to remain at Barcelona, so as to be upon the spot to renew his intercession and exert his influence afresh with the captain-general, should it be necessary. He tolerably well comprehended the difficulty in which this great functionary found himself placed, and therefore understood how it was that he had not positively and specifically defined the respite for the full period of three weeks. The fact was, that the utmost indignation prevailed amongst the inhabitants of Barcelona and the neighbour- hood at the slaughter of the custom-house officers, and a vindictive spirit called loudly for the summary wreaking of the law’s penalty upon tke Lead of Russell. The political chief, or supreme civil authority of the principality, was to a certain extent at enmity with the captain-general, and he failed not to represent as a great grievance the leniency shown toward the English smugeler-captain by suspending the sentence. Again, the commanders of the Spanish revenue cruisers upon the coast were terribly enraged at the vessel having escaped them; and requiring a vent of some kind or another for their excited feelings, they also clamoured for the prompt execution of the law’s judgment pronounced against Edward Russell. Thus was it that the captain-general was sorely pressed 78 CONNIE DOO KS (E(0)