The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 387: what you’re looking at

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

356 REYNOLDS’ WORKS the latter portion of this explanation; the words “ safe” and ‘“ cashbox”’ all in an instant appeared by some in- comprehensible means to connect what the merchant was now listening to with all that for the last few hours had been so painfully uppermost in his mind. ‘““What were the words he made use of?” inquired Sir Frederick of Mr. Redcliffe. “TI recollect perfectly well,’’? was the latter’s response, “that Christian Ashton mentioned them to me as being precisely these, ‘ What about that safe and cash-box?’ And then, it might have been imagination on Christian’s part, but he assures me it struck him that Viscount Rush- brook seemed to stagger back a pace or two, while he cer- tainly let go of the man’s garments as if his hands had been suddenly smitten with paralysis. This description, more- over, seems to have been corroborated by what Rush- brook himself said immediately afterward, and which was to the effect that he had been seized with a dizziness, a sudden sickness or something of the kind, and which he attributed to the viands he had eaten at supper having disagreed with him.” All this appeared more and more strange to Sir Frederick Latham, for with his knowledge of Rushbrook’s character, he was naturally led to surmise that he had some very substantial reasons indeed for keeping silence, and enjoining it to be kept in respect to the two perilous adventures with the Lascar. And, moreover, Sir Frederick could not help thinking that what had been taken for a sudden paralysis of the hands was in reality a terror inspired by the words thrown from the lips of the false Lascar, while the plea of sickness from indigestion was merely an excuse to account for the same. But still the merchant was at a loss for any probable or feasible means of intelligence connecting the adventure in respect to the Lascar with his own safe and cash-box whence all the money had disappeared. ‘“T can assure you, Sir Frederick,’ added Mr. Redcliffe, “our young friend Christian was very much annoyed that the false Lascar should have escaped him, and all the more so when he heard that by this escape the ruffian had re- mained at large to attempt an outrage against the youth’s sister Christina.” ‘TI will assuredly give orders to have my premises GOMIGDOOKS (E(0) m