The Works of George W. M. Reynolds — page 48: what you’re looking at

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

CHAPTER V THE DRAMA OF A NIGHT — ACT THE FIFTH WE must now return to Agatha’s bedchamber at the villa in the suburbs of Geneva. Mrs. Ranger, be it remembered, had left Emma and Julia by the bedside of their eldest sister, and as this young lady, who had just become the mother of a dead child, fell into a tranquil slumber, the other two sat silent, or else occa- _ sionally conversed in low whispers while watching by the invalid’s couch. An hour elapsed, and Mrs. Ranger did not return. Then an- other hour passed, and still she came not. Emma and Julia grew seriously alarmed. They were utterly at a loss to con- jecture what could detain the old lady. Was it possible that some accident had befallen her? Had she been waylaid and maltreated, or perhaps murdered? ‘They shuddered as they hazarded these surmises to each other; and as the time still kept slipping on and Mrs. Ranger reappeared not, the fears of the two girls became at length absolutely intoler- able. Fortunately Agatha still slept on, thus remaining unconscious of the annoyance that was torturing her sisters. The timepiece on the mantel proclaimed half-past two. Three hours had now elapsed since Mrs. Ranger took her departure with Doctor Maravelli. Suddenly Kmma be- thought herself of ascertaining whether Mrs. Hubbard had received any intimation from Mrs. Ranger of the probability of this prolonged absence on her part. To Mrs. Hubbard’s apartment did Emma accordingly bend her stealthy steps in the dark. But the laundress was not there, nor had her bed been slept in during the night. Tor- tured with new terrors more agonizing and_ bewildering than the first alarms, Emma hastened to rejoin her sister $1 Gomicdooks (C(O) im