The Works of George W. M. Reynolds — page 97: what you’re looking at

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

SO REYNOLDS’ WORKS tween Barcelona and the Spanish capital is above three hundred miles, and therefore Don Diego did not entertain the hope of reaching Madrid and returning to Barcelona within the prescribed interval. But he adopted his present proceeding for two reasons. In the first place, he thought it probable that Miss Marshall — if she had obtained the par- don — would, in her loving zeal and tender anxiety, be hastening with it herself to Barcelona, — the more so, as he had led her to suppose that there was still another clear week of respite for Ned Russell. If therefore she were upon the road, he hoped to meet her; he would receive the pardon from her hands, and, to make everything sure, would gallop back day and night until he reached the Catalan capital once more. In the second place, he reasoned that she might have entrusted the precious document to a courier, and knowing that these individuals are apt to tarry and drink on the way, he resolved to make inquiries at every station and of every mounted messenger whom he might meet, to ascertain if the hoped-for paper were upon the road to Barcelona. It was in the forenoon of Wednesday that he thus set out, and being an excellent horseman, as well as accustomed to the fatigues of travelling, he journeyed at a rapid pace. Resting as little as possible, and obtaining a fresh steed as often as circumstances would permit, he accomplished ninety miles by midnight, which, considering the nature of the Spanish roads and the sorry animals used for posting or for couriers, was remarkably good. Allowing himself but a couple of hours to recruit his strength, he continued his way. Morning dawned, and after another rest, he sped along. It was about noon on the Thursday that, at a distance of one hundred and sixty miles from Barcelona, he encountered a courier whom he stopped, and to whom he put the same inquiries he had addressed to all the others he had previously met. ‘This courier bore a despatch addressed to himself. It was the one which Kate had sent off in the latter part of the previous day, after her interview with the minister’s wife at the hotel, and it contained the written undertaking signed by the minister. Don Diego therefore saw that every hope was to be entertained, but as Kate intimated that another messenger would be sent off with a despatch to communicate the result, Count Christoval resolved to continue his ride toward the capital and thus fall in with the second messenger. (E(0) m CONNIE DOO KS