The Freemason's Daughter: A Novel — page 172: what you’re looking at

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

THE FREEMASONS DAUGHTER. 163 “Tam sure not. If he does, he is a greater fool than rogue ; and that aint possible, at least if what folks say in Manchester be true of him.” ‘* He has got the papers,” thought the little man to © himself. ‘He must have them, and have read them, or he would never be so infernally impudent. What can they contain?” While he was secretly calculating how much it would be advisable to offer, the sound of his partner’s carriage was heard, as the coachman drew up at the door of the counting-house. Small’s resolution was taken in an instant. It wae one of those occasions on which a genius like his dares everything. | Oh, here is Mr. Grindem! ” he exclaimed ; “‘ now you can speak with him.” With these words he left the office by a door which opened into a narrow courtyard at the back of the house, into which Grindem’s private apartment looked. The place was filled with miscellaneous merchandise —such as bales of cotton and silks ; some of these were piled close up to the window. Behind one of them Small carefully hid himself, first carefully cutting with his diamond ring a portion of one of the lower panes of glass, so as to leave an opening through which he could hear what passed. He had not long to wait before Grindem and Flanagan entered the room. | The wealthy merchant carefully closed the door M 2 COniiclooecl SS (SO