Mrs. Bob: A Novel — page 265: what you’re looking at

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

NOW MONSIEUR SMILES -BUT— 257 full sway; she has awakened from a long lethargy ; the mother instinct in her heart recognizes the fact that it is essential to her future happiness that she should overtake the party leaving the body of the house, and learn who it 1s accompanies the gentle. man she has recognized, in spite of the changes years have wrought, as her husband, so fondly, madly loved in days gone by, so sadly mourned as one in the orave. The meeting will occur in the lobby; perhaps it may not come about éxactly as any one of the charac- ters involved plans, for when many minds evolve a scheme, it is apt to be something on the order of what we call to-day a conglomeration. Lying in wait there are the human vampires known as Monsieur Merle and Colonel Cornelius Gor- don. ‘They have not failed to observe the movement in the box, as they have a good opportunity for ob- servation, although, of course, they fail to notice the cause for the sudden exodus. It suits them to have the closing scene of their drama occur before the throng pushes through the doors, eager to gain the outside air, like the torrent that flows through a broken dam. Craig checks his party near the doors, to give the squire and his vailed companion, hurrying along the side aisle, a chance to reach the entrance first. This they do, not noticing our friends in the crowd. The lady almost drags her aged companion along— the spirit of the Gordons has perhaps lain dormant for years, but something has occurred to- night to arouse it, Gomicbookssco