The Works of George W. M. Reynolds — page 391: what you’re looking at

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

374 REYNOLDS’ WORKS case they might be enabled by threats or violence to compel any person whom they would thus find to give information relative to the whereabouts of the plate, jewels, money, ete. Such were the thoughts that simultaneously occurred to the two burglars, tor all men of that class act as it were upon a particular system, and pursue a course which is as much guided by previous experiences as by the occurrences which transpire at the moment. For several minutes did they listen, and they heard no one speak. Then they traversed the spacious apartment with as much caution as possible, and the thick carpet would have stifled the sound of their footsteps even if the feet of one had not been muffled and the boots of the other taken off. On reaching the door which stood _ half-open, Chiffin peeped in, and beheld a lady seated alone in the adjacent room. She was placed at a table and had a book open before her, but she was not reading. She was reclining back in her chair, and as the hight of the wax candles fell with a sort of Rembrandt effect upon her splendid features, it was easy to perceive that she was absorbed in a profound reverie. Nor were her reflections of the most pleasing description, for there was a lowering of the naturally high and noble forehead, there was a sinister light gleaming in the eyes to which so magnificent a lustre properly belonged, and there was a compression of the lips which nature had never intended to remain so firmly closed. This lady was none other than the mistress of the mansion, and Chiffin knew her to be Lady Saxondale. He had seen her first of all upwards of nineteen years back, when, being despatched by Ralph Farefield into Lincolnshire, he had lurked about the neighbourhood of Saxondale Castle watch- ing for an opportunity to carry off the child; he had seen her then, in the pride and glory of her youthtul beauty, and once seen, she was not a woman who could be easily forgotten. But Chiffin had also seen her within the last few days, for he had loitered about Saxondale House in Park Lane, not only with the view of discovering as much as he could of the position of the premises, but also to examine the features of the domestics and see whether the physiognomy of any one of them furnished a sufficient indication of innate villainy to warrant the Cannibal in scraping acquaintance with the view to an arrangement CONNIE No KS (E(0)