His Other Wife: A Novel — page 69: what you’re looking at

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

AMY’S DISCOVERIES. 6 paper, till he came to the vial, whose contents Amy had seen her master empty into her mistress’ night-draught. She was steadfastly, and with feline scrutiny, watching the Indian’s face. It is worthy of comment here the de- gree of skill which negroes and all ignorant menial races achieve in the reading of faces. Amy seemed to belong to this class of physiognomical students; ‘habitually she spoke little, but she used her eyes, and what she did say was generally to the point. ‘*Where did you get this, old woman?” asked the In- dian, after having unwrapped and held the vial for a few moments to his keen, slender nostrils, that looked as if their capacity might vie with a grayhound’s, ‘*T fine it, sah.” ‘‘Where did you find it?” ‘*Dat’s my business, boss.” ‘‘Tt’s mine also, now. If I cannot make you tell me the history of this vial, the aw can. It has had poison of the most horrid kind in it. You shall not stir from this spot until I know all that you can tell about it.” ‘‘Blessed God! Jis’ as I ’spected!” cried the old woman, while an ashy paleness came out on her brown skin, ‘‘Pisen/ I know’d it! Lord, I know’d it!” She seemed utterly to have forgotten the presence of the Indian, as well as his threats of detention. Only the vast horror of her discovery, or, rather, the realization of her prophetic fear, had any place in her mind, ‘©Well, let us hear what you know,” Eomicbooks: (E(@) 3