Her Faithful Knight — page 262: what you’re looking at

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

258 His Liege Lady. you proposed, you will certainly be at once arrested, for your lawyer has, without doubt, been communicated with. The warrant for your arrest and that of Mrs. Cresswell on the charge of willfully murdering Dorothea Derrick on February 23, at 4 Lockhart Cottages, was applied for and granted yesterday afternoon.” “But I was not even in the house when my sister died,” cried Dorothy, while tears rolled down her face at the remembrance. “Her heart was terribly weakened by her illness, and she died of heart disease. Dr. Wentworth at- tended her, and before then Dr. Morgan. They both know that such a charge would be ridiculous if it were not so hideous! I must see Mr. Searle, my lawyer, at once, and get him to put a stop to this insane charge © “I’m afraid things have gone too far for that. You see —I can’t bear to tell you—but you are liable to arrest at any moment, as is your old servant. It is only by chance, aided, perhaps, by this fog, that you have come up to town in safety. Of course, you will be able to answer such an outrageous accusation fully. Do you suppose that I doubt that for a moment? But I wanted you to hear it first from the lips of a friend.” “Thank you,” she said simply. She was hardly listening, being absorbed in her own thoughts. After a few moments of silence she said sud- denly, in low tones of intense conviction: “IT cannot face the charge.” He would not doubt her for an instant. He waited a few seconds for the explanation which did not come, and then said gently: “Sooner or later you will have to do so.” “T cannot,” she returned wildly. “I cannot face that man Derrick! It is he who has started this vile story, is it not?” COTMICLOoOl<S eo nal