A Fair Fraud — page 213: what you’re looking at

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

CHAPTER XV A very few minutes later they entered the house in a group which, despite the tragedy and the terror of the moment, Marion could never afterwards recollect without laughing. Mr Drury and Mr Grigsun, senior, were supporting —almost, in fact, carrying between them—the trembling form of Mr Joseph Grig- son. At the first moment the three frightened ladies—for they had lifted Hestcr on to a sofa, where she lay in a dead faint, perfectly uncon- scious—imagined that this shaking, shuddering creature had been the victim of an accident of some -kind; but no, it appeared that he was totally unhurt! Yet a more piteous object it would be difficult to describe. His knees knocked together, his teeth chattered, his white lips quivered, and the _ perspiration poured in streams down his ashy face. As they helped him into the house he uttered convulsive sobs and broken words, and kept on clasping his hands tremulcusly together. ‘Oh—h! what will they do to me? what wil] they do? Will it be m—m—murder? 202 GORMGIOO