A Silver Brand — page 199: what you’re looking at

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

A SILVER BRAND, ia MAG He only shrugged his shoulders, and said: ‘‘Come on then; follow peaceably. You will see that it is much the best way for you. Hold the lantern, Mike,” Serena turned and looked down at the motionless form lying untended in the boat. ‘You will bring him, too,” she said, imploringly. “Curse him! why did he meddle with me? It is the — best.thing to tumble him over into the water and leave him there,” growled Robinson. “Come on, I say.” Serena sat down quietly upon the edge of the boat. “TI shall not go, not a single step, without you drag me, and that will not be easy in this rough ~place, unless you bring him also, where we can see if there is any life left in him. Nor will you go, Lina.” ; ‘‘There be, Jack. I’ve seén him breathing two or three times,” volunteered Mike, “but he don’t know nothing yet.” | “The better for him,” growled Jack; “well, drag him along, Mike; we’ll overhaul his pockets and see what we make of them.” Mike lifted up their hapless knight, and then Serena rose calmly with a queen’s dignity. “Go in front,” she said; “so long as you carry him de- cently we will follow after you peaceably.” ; ‘‘Hang it if I shouldn’t think she ought to be the grand lady,” muttered. Jack Robinson. “I wish we could have managed to leave her out of the scrape. But I can’t say that she don’t take my fancy. She’s a rare one now, that’s certain.” He took the lantern, and Mike, with insensible Stephano, went forward on the dark and narrow subterranean road, and the two girls, with cold hands holding fast to each other, and sinking hearts, followed. CHAPTER XIX. ON GCARL’S TRACK. In a stately palace chamber, with tall windows fretted with carvings, and shaded by costly folds of lace and damask, through whose unclosed casements stole the per- fume of a spacious garden below, mingled with the tink-. ling rhythm of flowing fountains, at a table still littered with the costly appurtenances of arich dessert, sat the (ECO) AANICEl exeye) “S (E(o)