In Sight of St. Paul's — page 76: what you’re looking at

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

A CRUSHING BLOW. 7 ‘‘Now, sir, Iam at your service,’’? he concluded, turning smilingly to the captain. There was almost silence now in the room, as it had stolen over the company that something unusual was about to happen. Tom stood with folded arms and compressed’ lips, feeling like a man on whom sentence has just been passed, and who knows there is no chance of a tfe- prieve. | ‘“Give me the bill,’’ whispered Gridston, turning to ‘Treacher. . | The attorney obeyed, and, with the paper clutched in his hand, the captain once more faced his host. ‘‘Mr. Chichester,’’? he said, in a voice distinctly audible throughout the room, ‘‘I am sorry to com- municate this intelligence to you at such a time, but I have no alternative. Will you kindly look at this bill ?”? 7 Harry, who had come forward, and was standing close to Tom); turned palé as death as*he heard these ; words, and he clutched his brother’s arm with a smothered groan. 3 “Frush! Silence!’’ whispered Tom, warningly. Mr. Chichester, meanwhile, greatly astonished and intensely annoyed at what he considered a shocking exhibition of bad taste on the part of Gridston, had merely glanced at the face of the bill. “‘Captain Gridston,’’ he said, frigidly, ‘‘after all, Eomicbooks co!