The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 378: what you’re looking at

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

THE SMEDLEYS AGAIN 347 longer that fierce tiger-cat — his mother-in-law — would have flown at him to tear the phial from his grasp. “Yes, take it,’”’ he said, just in time to prevent such a scene, and he placed the phial in her hand. ‘““Oh, to cheat the gallows! to avoid the hangman! to escape the horrors of the gazing crowd,’’ and the woman in an unnatural frenzy of joy pressed the phial to her lips. ‘“ But my dear mother-in-law,’ whispered Jack Smedley, bending down toward her ear, ‘‘ you will not take that poison for two or three days? You will not compromise me? ”’ “No, I can afford to spare you now,’’ answered Mrs. Webber, “‘ for you have done me at least one service in my lifetime, —a service that gives me the means of death. And now go—leave me. I am no puling foolish creature that can descend to slobbering farewells and sickly leave- takings — But stay one moment. You need not tell Bab that I hinted in my frenzy at the idea of betraying either you or her, for [should not have done it, —it was mere madness at the time. And now go.”’ She waved her hand to her son-in-law, who opening the little trap at the door of the cell, called for the turnkey who was stationed ata grating at the end of the passage, and that functionary speedily arrived to afford Jack Smedley egress from the prisoner’s chamber. EGOMINGIOOKS (CO)