The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 111: what you’re looking at

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

THE STRONG ROOM 93 ‘The woman has been down,” she said to herself, with anguish at the heart, “‘ to tell her master that he is deceived, and she cannot conceal her own rage at the idea that there is an impostress in the house. Hence this stamping of the feet, hence this slamming of her door. Oh, what will be- come of me?” Again the miserable Lettice wrung her hands despairingly, — when all in a moment the thought struck her that she might escape out of the house. Yes, if this were practicable, she would accomplish it. But what if the street door were locked and the key taken out? Ah! then doubtless there would be some means of issue from the back part of the prem- ises, or by the parlour-window — anything, so long as she could escape. And now how thankful she was that her effects had been left at the railway terminus, for perhaps there might be a very late train by which she could get off, or, at all events, there was sure to be a very early one in the morning, and she might be far away from Liverpool before her flight from the house should be discovered. Having reflected upon all these things, Lettice Rodney determined to make her escape. She had not taken off her bonnet or shawl; she was therefore in readiness to depart without delay. But she thought to herself that it would be better to wait half an hour, and thus afford leisure to the other inmates of the dwelling (for she did not even know how many there might be, nor what number of servants the old miser kept) to sink into repose in their respective chambers. She waited accordingly, and it was a half-hour of painful suspense for her, because she was not as yet certain that she would after all be enabled to find an issue from the dwel- ling. She did not hear Mrs. Webber descend the stairs, and as the house appeared to continue quiet, she at length resolved to put her project into execution. Opening the door of her chamber, she stole forth; but on reaching the head of the staircase she perceived a light glimmering below, and hastily retreating, closed the door again, more loudly than was consistent with caution. It was this sound which had reached Mrs. Webber’s ears, and made her ejaculate “ Hush!” just at the very instant that Barney the Burker was about to drive his dagger deep down between the shoulders of the victim. And it may be added that it was CORNIECLOO SS (E() im