The Mysteries of the Court of London by Pauline Clarendon — page 332: what you’re looking at

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

MEAGLES AND THE AMAZON 329 to hear the rest of your story. But I will tell it myself. You must know, then,’ she continued, addressing herself to the Big Beggarman, “ that the waterman who rowed us pulled manfully, and Mr. Meagles leaned over the gunwale on one side, while I did the same on the other. All of a sudden I saw something white, yes, absolutely white, through the deep darkness. It appeared abruptly — quick as the eye winks — close by my side of the wherry; and simul- taneously as I caught sight of it, I beheld enough to carry the rapid conviction to my mind that it was a human countenance.”’ “The devil it was!” ejaculated the Big Beggarman, summoning all his self-possession to his aid, while his guilty soul was quaking at the prospect of discovery. “Yes, it was a human countenance,’ repeated the Ama- zon, emphatically. ‘‘ With the speed of thought, I mechan- - ically stretched out my arm, and my hand clutched the hair upon the unfortunate man’s head.” “And you saved him?’ cried the bloated ruffian, with terrific impatience, which Meagles and the Amazon, how- ever, believed to arise from a feeling of humanity prompting the hope that a fellow creature was really rescued from a watery grave. ‘““ Mr. Meagles instantly turned to assist me, the waterman likewise lent a hand, and we succeeded in dragging the un- fortunate individual into the boat,” continued Lady Letitia; “but it was at the risk of our own lives, for the wherry was as nearly as possible being upset by the proceeding.” “And did he speak? Did he say anything? ’’ demanded the guilty ruffian, his fears becoming every instant more appalling. ‘““ He was senseless, and we thought that life must be extinct,’ replied the huntress. ‘“‘ But we bade the waterman pull back to Execution Dock as quickly as he could, and during the few minutes which thus elapsed, Mr. Meagles rubbed the poor gentleman’s hands briskly between his own, while I chafed his temples. By the time the wherry reached the stairs again, we had the satisfaction of knowing that the vital spark was still flickering.”’ “Ah! a very pleasant satisfaction,’ observed the Big Beggarman, who could have killed the Amazon and Tim Meagles both, then and there, for what he considered to be ECOMNIE OOO SS (GO)