The Freemason's Daughter: A Novel — page 78: what you’re looking at

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

THE FREEMASONS DAUGHTER. 69 the poor old fellow to go to the hospital. His absence and Lawrence’s at the same time will sadly inconve- nience the firm: I am afraid I must get you to under- take the foreign correspondence.”’ This was the very thing his nephew wished, and so both ends were answered. “‘T sent for you,” continued Mr. Grindem, addressing the weaver, ‘“‘to inquire if you or the woman where he lodged have seen any papers about his room? I miss two rather important ones belonging to the firm.” ** Papers ?”’ said the man, looking confused. ‘“‘ He has them,” muttered Gilbert to himself. ‘‘ Ay,” he resumed aloud, “things of no value in themselves, but the loss of which will be attended with great in- convenience to me, touching matters from India. Poor fellow? I doubt not but that in his anxiety he has put them in some out-of-the-way place or another, to make sure that they were safe.” “‘ From India?” repeated the man, thrown off his guard by the apparent simplicity and straight-forward- ness of the speaker’s manner. ‘“ Are they old papers ?”’ “ No.” Here Grindem’s cunning was too much for himself. Had he said yes, the poor weaver, whom Gridley had really made the depository of the letters which he had found in the dead man’s pockets, would have given them up, deeming the caution of the poor clerk but the wandering of his diseased brain. The merchant’s COniiclooecl SS (SO