The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 381: what you’re looking at

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

CHAPTER XXXVI THE SECRET EXPEDITION In the wall at the back part of the spacious grounds belonging to the villa was a door opening upon a narrow road, which led for about a quarter of a mile through some fields stretching up to the verge of the city of Geneva, and it was about half-past ten o’clock, on the same evening of which we have been writing, that two female figures stole forth from that garden door. The silver moon rode high in the heavens, attended by countless myriads of stars, like a virgin-queen with her courtly galaxy of maidens, but a chill breeze, coming from the mountains and passing over the immense lake, would have been of itself a sufficient reason to explain wherefore those two females were so well muffled up in ample cloaks. It was, however, no reason wherefore they should be so carefully veiled, and why on issuing forth they should cast such quick and anxious glances around, as if fearful of being observed. Indeed, it was evident enough that they had now quitted the villa for no ordinary purpose of enjoying a ramble in the silence, the moonlight, and the loneliness of that hour, but they had some secret and important business on hand. “The coast is clear, Agatha,’ said Mrs. Ranger, for she indeed was one of the females thus cloaked and veiled, and the eldest Miss Owen was the other. ‘‘ Come, let us be quick. But your eyes are better than mine: do you see anybody approaching? ”’ ‘No, not a soul,’ answered Agatha. ‘‘ But stop one moment. I must lock the gate, and take the key with me. Heavens! how my hand trembles. I positively feel as if I were about to commit some heinous crime.”’ 348 Gomicbdooks (E(@)