The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 167: what you’re looking at

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

140 THE COURT OF LONDON said Crawley, as he took back the letter and once more se- cured it in his waistcoat pocket. ‘‘ I would not believe it at first, although I came to investigate the business as a matter of course. But link after link in the chain of evidence has been supplied, I don’t know whether by accident or by Providence —” — “Yes, it is Providence that does all this! ’’ exclaimed the doctor, in a solemn and impressive manner. “ I suppose you are an officer of justice? ’’ he observed, after a brief pause. ‘“‘ Exactly so,” returned Crawley. ‘‘ Be pleased to give me your card, sir, as I may want your evidence presently.” ‘‘ Unhappy woman!” said the medical practitioner, as he complied with the constable’s demand; “ to what a pass has she brought herself! Oh, now I remember her agitated looks, her singular expressions, her frightened manner, last night; but far, very far was I from attributing all that trouble and terror to the true cause. It is a painful duty which you have to perform, constable, in taking a woman into custody on such a charge.”’ ‘“T’m accustomed to it, sir, and my feelings are rather tough,” observed Mr. Crawley. ‘“ But I shall say good-bye for the present; and when I want you to attend to give evidence, I’ll let you know.” The doctor and the officer then separated; and while the former returned slowly and in deep thought to his own dwelling, the latter hastened back to Bow Street to report to the magistrate all that had occurred and procure the necessary assistance for pushing the investigation to the end. About half an hour afterward, Mr. Crawley, armed with a warrant, and attended by three subordinate constables, — followed also by the mongrel Toby, — suddenly made his appearance at the milliner’s establishment in Pall Mall. The three young females whom Mrs. Brace still kept in her employment were in the shop at the moment when this alarming irruption took place; but the milliner herself was in her favourite parlour, pondering over the incidents of the last twelve hours, and congratulating herself on the death of Frederick Dray. ‘““Where’s the lady of the house?’’ demanded Crawley of the foremost of the three young women, who were seized CORNIELIOOLKKS (E(0)