Mrs. Bob: A Novel — page 206: what you’re looking at

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

198 | THE FACE AT THE WINDOW. They sit down to be comfortable, and Bob engages his two friends in conversation, feeling that his wife has some motive beyond; but they cannot help watching her. Gypsy evidently is quite at home here and knows where the queer old recluse, her grandfather, used to keep certain of his valuables. She moves a panel in the wall, showing a cavity beyond, puts in her hand and gropes around, but only to meet with disappoint- ment. Next she lifts a loose board in the floor at a point where it would never be noticed, but again she finds nothing. For a minute Mrs Bob stands there with a forefinger pressed against her temple, in a thoughtful attitude; then she seems to glance around her as if fearing lest some peeping servant might see her thus revealing the secrets of Squire Gordon. As if resolved to let no scruple interfere with what appears to be a conscientious duty, she finally goes to an antique cabinet, and by pressing a spring opens a false back disclosing a queer nook, which is einpty. , ‘It is useless; he has taken it all,’’ they hear her say, and each one in turn asks himself what this Inay mean. ‘‘T aim ready to go, gentlemen—to New York—to Europe, if necessary, but he must be found before he loses what he has taken,’’ she says. ‘You mean the squire ?’’ asks Bob. ‘Yes. Let us go; I do not care to stay longer.’ ‘You are mistress here, my dear. We have plenty of time; would it not be well to go in and see the Gomichooksscom