Penny Blood Serial Fiction — page 120: what you’re looking at

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

SIR RICHARD STAMFORD 103 more intense, lighting up as it were all the unfathomable depths of my own soul and bringing forth ideas which seemed to have always had a latent and slumbering though unknown existence there, and then rushing in upon my appalled imagination with a vividness that struck me with dismay. A thousand little circumstances suddenly appeared to spring to life in my memory, all combining to strengthen those horrible suspicions, and rivet the conviction that it was not alone in her expenditure that Eleanor had deceived me. Yes— yes—TI saw it all: she was faithless to me — and Ramsey was her paramour! My tongue felt like a flaming coal. Vesuvius seemed glowing in my brain — the maelstrom racing in my heart. I rose irom my seat, staggering azainst the wall for support; and there I sus- tained myself for a few minutes, literally unable to move. And now you may say it was providential, or that 1t was mere matter of chance, but it is nevertheless a fact that the little incident of thus leaning against the wall was the cause of my obtaining a deeper insight into the villainy of my partners. For I heard voices in the adjoining room, and, as the partition was thin, I could not help catching what was said. Judge of my feelings when I found that the occupants of the next apartment were Martin and Ramsey! Yes, I knew their voices in a moment; and now I listened in breathless suspense. Martin was speaking at the time; and I heard him explain to Ramsey how the forgeries had been so skilfully executed that he experienced not the slightest difficulty in selling out the stock at the Bank of England! ‘The wretch, then, had been to London on his iniquitous business, and had only just returned. And Ramsey was laughing at the accounts he gave of his success; and they drank to each other’s health, for they had been dining together. I was riveted to the spot, my ear was nailed to the wall; and now Ramsey began to tell his partner in fraud how he had been that afternoon to the manor while he knew that I was in Aylesbury, how he had seen Lady Stamford and revealed to her the ruin which had assailed the bank, how he and Martin had taken good care of themselves, and how they had hit upon a certain plan for disposing of me—her husband — to which she had finally consented, though with some hesita- tion. What this plan was did not appear; but I heard (C©@) ECORMMICLOOO CS