Penny Blood Serial Fiction — page 320: what you’re looking at

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

MR. PAGE AND HIs WIFE 303 Such is the copy of the fragment in the possession of the person who employs T. M. in the matter: but who that person is, you must not expect to learn. Indeed, it can have nothing to do with the share which you are required to take in the matter. ‘ You saw the other day that Lightfoot was obstinate; it is therefore useless for T. M. and me to nego- tiate with him any more. But you told me, when I saw you last night, that you had many and cogent reasons for not coming to a rupture with the old man. Surely the thousand geuineas I’. M. offers you through me — and with the chance — of two thousand — will amply remunerate you for any loss you may sustain in consequence of a quarrel with Lightfoot. Besides, if — as you hinted — he and you are so useful to each other and so mixed up in several matters, he will for- sive you in the long run for temporarily turning against him. “The preceding is a faithful copy of the fragment in the possession of T. M’s. principal. You, who have seen the half in Lightfoot’s hands, can now judge of the value of the document as a whole. This we must leave to you; because, inasmuch as the obstinate old fellow would not even allow me and T. M. a sight of his moiety, we are utterly unable to form an opinion of the tenor of the paper when read and viewed in its complete state. But now observe: if the docu- ment, when read as a whole, confesses marriage, then it is of first-rate importance, and the reward given to you for what we require of you shall be two thousand guineas. But if the document should be tound to contain only a promise of marriage, the sum shall be one thousand guineas, as originally proposed by T. M. Thus stands the matter. If we hear no more from you, we shall conclude that you de- cline proceeding farther in it; if the contrary be the case, you can write to me at my own house. In this latter alterna- tive, you will do well to use the invisible ink; for although Sir J. would never dream of opening any correspondence addressed to me, it is as well to guard against impertinent curiosity on the part of menials. I told you in my note of this morning that I shall see T. M. to-morrow evening; I hope to hear from you by that time. i ,) Dig) 1 Fe ‘Now, then, all mystery is cleared up in respect to the certificate,” exclaimed Page, when he had brought the pe- GOMmiicdooks (C(O)