The Mysteries of the Court of London by Pauline Clarendon — page 217: what you’re looking at

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

214 THE COURT OF LONDON The strange noise had ceased; but she fancied that she heard voices whispering somewhere below. It often seems as lf our organs had the faculty of ren- (lering themselves more sensitive and keen on those occasions when their ordinary powers would scarcely answer the desired purpose or serve the sudden emergency, and thus it was in the present instance. For, as Mrs. Brace held her breath to listen, her auricular sense acquired a remarkable vividness; and she distinctly heard the sounds of two rough voices whispering together in a very subdued tone. A few words that she caught, such as ‘“ saw,” “‘ crowbar,” and ‘skeleton keys,” convinced her beyond all possibility of doubt that thieves had obtained an entry into the house; and it was the dining-room door which they were thus deliberating how to force open, it being invariably locked every night by Mrs. Brace-herself ere she retired to rest. All her plate was kept in the sideboard in that apartment; and she was suddenly seized with a mortal apprehension lest the robbers should possess themselves of so valuable a prize ere she could summon the necessary assistance. For, on second thoughts, she dared not call Mr. Harley to her aid, — there were reasons why he must not stand the chance of being recognized in that house, even by thieves; and she would have to descend the staircase and pass into the dwelling looking on St. James’s Square in order to arouse her footmen. What, then, was to be done? Moments, nay, minutes were flying; and every one was precious. Bending her head over the banisters, she listened again. The men had succeeded in forcing open the door of the dining-room, and there was not an instant to lose. It would be useless to awaken the young ladies and the female servants. Such a proceeding might alarm the robbers it was true, but would not perhaps prevent them from making off at once with the booty already in their reach. The only wise expedient was to summon the footmen, and on this alternative she resolved, at any risk. Descending the stairs as noiselessly as possible in the dark, Mrs Brace had gained the ground floor, and was on the point of entering the passage leading into the other house, when a light suddenly appeared upon the threshold of the dining-room, and as villainous a countenance as the imagina- CONNIE OOO KS (E(o)