The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 377: what you’re looking at

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

346 REYNOLDS’ WORKS is something that will save me from the horrible chance of betraying my own daughter in my madness.”’ ‘“And that something? ’’ ejaculated Smedley, with the almost breathless eagerness of suspense. Mrs. Webber looked very hard at him for nearly a minute, and then a word — a single word — came in a slow whisper from her lips,— a word which made her son-in-law start suddenly, although what she had previously said had more than half-prepared him for the climax. And that one word was, ‘‘ Poison! ” “Do you mean it, mother-in-law? ”’ he asked, clutching her wrist and looking her intently in the face. ‘‘T mean it,’”’ she responded. ‘“ But of what use,” was her immediate contemptuous addition, “is it for me to make such a request, since I already see that your craven heart — ”’ ‘‘ Enough, mother-in-law. You do not understand me,” hurriedly whispered the gold-beater. ‘‘ I have poison with | me.”’ ‘“ Poison with you? ”’ she echoed, a wild joy flashing forth in unearthly light from her eyes. “Is it possible? But how? You are not deceiving me? ” “No, no; I am not deceiving you,” rejoined the gold- beater, quickly. ‘‘ Can you not understand that Bab and I feel ourselves to be environed by dangers? Yes, we know that we are standing upon a mine which may explode at any instant. Therefore we are prepared. We have breathed a solemn vow that the hangman’s cord shall never touch our necks. On this we are resolved. Do you remember the phial of poison — ” “Ah! the prussic acid,’’ said Mrs. Webber, eagerly, ‘““ which was found amongst Preston”’ effects? ”’ “The same,”’ rejoined Smedley. ‘“ There is the phial. It contains half the fluid which originally filled it. Bab has the other half.’’ “And will you give it to me?”’ demanded the woman, yearning for the deadly venom with as strong an avidity as if she were famished and it was food that she was imploring; “will you surrender up your share? Can you for once in your life, Jack Smedley, do a generous action? ”’ The gold-beater pretended to hesitate for a few moments, but if his simulated hesitation had only lasted an instant CORNICLIOOKS (E(0)