The Works of George W. M. Reynolds — page 239: what you’re looking at

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

222 REYNOLDS’ WORKS handsome that the police officer could not help gazing upon her with admiration. ‘As this is an affair,” observed Kate, pretending to be very serious, “‘ which, as my father says, to some little extent involves the respectability of his establishment, he and my mother, myself and sisters, are all going to the town hall.” ‘Very well, then, you can do as you like,” exclaimed Lady Bess, affecting to be somewhat offended by the remark, “but I will proceed thither at once with the officer. Of course,” she said, addressing herself to the constable, “‘ you do not wish to subject me to any ignominious treatment, for I can assure you that this is all a mistake, and will speedily be cleared up.” The policeman naturally thought, from all he had heard in the bar, that it really was a mistake, and he had been much surprised at Mr. Marlow determining to give the lady into charge. Besides, when he looked at her he could not possibly fancy for a moment that a female with a certain elegant and fashionable air of distinction could be nothing more than a robber. He therefore assured the lady that he did not wish to subject her to the slightest inconvenience, and that if she would walk in front of him, he would keep at such a distance from her as to prevent the people in the streets from observing that she was in his custody. There- fore, ere quitting the tavern, he gave her a few directions which turnings to take so as to reach the town hall. These little arrangements being made, Lady Bess issued forth, the constable keeping in her track, but at an interval of a dozen or fifteen yards. The town hall was reached, and Mr. Marlow, who had got there first, stopped the mayor from quitting the magisterial seat, as he was about to do, the morning’s business being over. So quietly had the whole thing been managed that nothing of what was going on had got wind through the town, and there were consequently but very few loiterers in the court when Lady Bess was introduced to the presence of the magistrate. Almost immediately after her arrival, old Marshall and his family, accompanied by Mr. Hood and his assistant, made their appearance, for the tavern-keeper had called for the medical men on the way to the town hall, telling them what had occurred, and intimating that from all which had transpired in his own bar-parlour he thought ) CONNIE NO KS m