The Works of George W. M. Reynolds — page 106: what you’re looking at

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

THE STRONG ROOM 89 “ But has the old ’un paid her over the blunt? ” inquired Barney, with a look of apprehension. ‘No, I am certain he has not,” responded Mrs. Webber; “there are deeds to sign first of all, or, rather, it was in- tended there should be,’”’ she added, with a glance of dia- bolical significancy. “Ah! but they won’t be, though,” rejoined Barney the Burker, his own looks full of a still more hideous and terrible meaning. ‘I say, by the bye, when I think of it, did I understand you just now, marm, that you mean to cut away from the house directly the business is done? ”’ “To be sure,’”’? answered Mrs. Webber, “‘ when the swag is properly divided. But of course we shall all three go different ways, and you may depend upon it that though an old woman I shall keep on the tramp the whole night, and then get up to London to-morrow in the best way that I can.”’ “ But there’ll be a terrible hue and cry,’’ remarked the Burker, “‘ and it won’t do for you to think of laying con- cealed at Jack Smedley’s house; you'll be sure to get nabbed.”’ “And I don’t mean anything of the sort,’’ answered the vile woman; “I shall get over to. France, and never come ~back to England again. But we must not stand gossiping here; we must get to work.” “ Here’s the tools,’’ said the Burker, with a grin, as he produced a long dagger from one pocket and a pistol from the other, while Bill Scott also displayed a couple of pistols. “ But this is the thing that we must do the business with,”’ added Barney, as he restored the pistol to his pocket, and felt the point of the dirk with his forefinger. “Come,” said Mrs. Webber, ‘‘ and mind if Mrs. Rayner up-stairs happens to overhear a noise, if there is any strug- gling on the old man’s part and she gets alarmed and comes down or cries out — ”’ “Then we must do her business also,’’ interrupted the -Burker, with a ferocious look. Mrs. Webber nodded with approving significancy, and as a thought struck her, she said, ‘‘ As I came down-stairs, I peeped through the keyhole and saw the old man sitting with his back to the door. If we should be lucky enough to find him in the same position now, the work will be easy COnNIEOOOKS (S(O)