The Works of George W. M. Reynolds — page 210: what you’re looking at

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

THE LAWYERS | 193 “JT know not,’’? returned the female highwayman, with an appearance of the utmost frankness, “ unless you station yourselves on the landing outside.”’ “Well, this we must do, then, I suppose,’ exclaimed Mr. Marlow. ‘Yes, there is no alternative,’ added Mr. Malton, who, though really regretting to be compelled to proceed to extremities against this extraordinary woman, was never- theless one of those scrupulous and punctilious individuals who imagine that severity in such cases is a duty which they owe to society. “Lead the way, Rosa,’ said Lady Bess, ‘‘and I will follow with these gentlemen.”’’ The servant accordingly issued from the room, holding in her hand the chamber candle with which she had previously lighted the tapers on the mantel, and the two lawyers, keeping Lady Bess between them, proceeded up a hand- somely carpeted staircase to the landing above. “This is my room,’ said the Amazon, pointing to the door which Rosa had just opened, “‘ and you will perhaps convince yourselves that it has no other outlet.” “ Yes, that I will do,” said the volatile Mr. Marlow, and he hastened into the chamber, while Lady Bess remained outside on the landing with Mr. Malton. “It’s all right,’’ exclaimed the senior partner, as he came forth again. ‘‘ There’s no possible escape, unless she leaps out of the window or gets up the chimney; but the former is too high from the ground, and the latter too narrow.’’ “Then we leave you for a few minutes with your servant,”’ said Mr. Malton. Lady Bess accordingly passed into the bedchamber, while the two lawyers stayed outside upon the landing. “ Fear nothing,’ said the Amazonian lady, in the lowest possible whisper to her servant, the instant they were thus alone together. ‘“ Your cousin is unsuspected; I have screened him. My plans are all arranged. And now at once begin talking loud, as if you were lamenting my mis- fortunes while dressing my wound.”’ The truth is that Lady~Bess had no wound at all, nor had she sustained any injury beyond a slight contusion or two from the fall in the road. The idea of the wound and the ghastly story of the blood streaming into her boot was COnniclooolxss (SO)