The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 201: what you’re looking at

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

174 REYNOLDS’ WORKS must have seen me. I dared not move; I kept in the deep shade of that recess, until I fancied you were asleep, and then I endeavoured to leave the chamber stealthily, with the intention of hiding myself in some unoccupied apartment until a more favourable opportunity should present itself for the liberation of the young lady.”’ ‘But if the secret entrance to the staircase is in this room,” said Christian, ‘‘ why did you not beat a retreat — ”’ ‘“ Look, sir,” ejaculated the negress, and, rising from her chair, she passed toward the recess to which she had just now alluded. A sharp click — evidently the action of some secret spring — fell upon Christian’s ear, and the next moment a strong light threw its rays into the chamber. This occurred with such magical suddenness, and the hideous form of the negress was so abruptly thrown out into strong relief, — the light itself flashed with such lhghtning celerity upon our young hero’s eyes, — that he started and could scarcely repress an ejaculation of wonderment mingled even with a transient terror. He perceived that a door had opened in the wall, and that on the foot of a staircase which was thus revealed within a lamp was standing. It was a lamp with a globe of ground slass; it was of moderate size, too, such as is used for a small parlour, and the negress had evidently left it there to lhght herself up again on her intended return to the secret chamber. ‘‘ Tf I had opened this door, sir,’’ she said to Christian, “ at the instant you burst into the room, you would of course have seen it, and if I had done so when you were in bed, there was the probability of the light flashing upon your eyes and awakening you.” “True,” observed our hero; then, having hastily huddled on all the rest of his garments, he said, “‘ And now take that Jamp and lead the way.” The negress did as she was ordered, and conducted Chris- tian up a very narrow staircase, the walls of which were wain- scoted, and at the top she halted for a moment to draw back the bolt of a door covered with green baize. As this door swung open outwardly, Christian perceived that it was of great thickness, and there was an inner door, also cov: red with baize, and which opened inward, so that it was but too evident that every precaution had been taken to render the secret chamber a veritable living tomb, — the walls, doors, CORNICIIOOKS (E(0)