The Works of George W. M. Reynolds — page 37: what you’re looking at

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

20 THE COURT OF LONDON was, she was startled by an abrupt spring, as if a wild beast were bounding through the trees, and so suddenly was she seized upon by the strong arms of a man that a dread con- sternation paralyzed her very tongue, thus preventing her from giving utterance to the faintest cry. The next instant she was gagged by a piece of linen, or handkerchief, being thrust into her mouth. Then, quick as thought, the ruffian who had thus made her captive lifted her in his strong arms, and bore her as if she were a mere child to a gar- den seat that stood against the wall. On this he jumped with marvellous agility, and over the wall he at once tossed her as unceremoniously as if she were a bundle of rags. The shriek that sprang up in her throat was stifled by the gag thrust into her mouth, but instead of falling to the ground, she was caught in the arms of another individual, who at once scud along the road with his living burden to where a post-chaise was waiting at a little distance, and the outlines of which appeared to her view just as the moonbeams were vanishing again. The next moment and Mrs. Ranger was flung into the vehicle as coolly and com- fortably as she had been ere now tossed over the wal}, and on being thus tumbled headlong inside theechaise, she pitched against another female, who gave vent to a sudden ejaculation in the pain caused by the concussion. ‘Heavens! ’tis you, Mrs. Hubbard?” said Mrs. Ranger, relieving herself from the gag the moment her hands were free again, for she instantaneously recognized the voice of the laundress. Then, in quick, breathless, and scarcely audible accents, she said, ‘‘ But the child? ” “Dropped in the garden,” responded Mrs. Hubbard, ‘when a coarse, wulgar furriner seized on me in the sel- vidgest manner possible and sent me flying over the wall jest for all the world like a battling-dore and shuttling- cock.”’ ‘Ah! ’twas the same with me,” answered Mrs. Ranger. “ But the child — what will happen now? ”’ “Gracious goodness on’y knows. Heavins, mem, what trouble you have brought me into!” and Mrs. Hubbard fell to moaning and sobbing as if her heart would break. The preceding colloquy only occupied a few moments, and even if it had not been cut short by Mrs. Hubbard’s whimpering, it would have been at the very same moment CORNICE IOO KS (E() im