Penny Blood Serial Fiction — page 314: what you’re looking at

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

THE SNARE 297 vent whatsoever cries might be uttered from reaching the ears of the people down-stairs. And here we may at once observe that Chiffin’s yell could scarcely have penetrated beyond that door; or if it did, 1t was drowned in the up- roarious din of revelry thundering forth irom the tap-room. The instant that the marquis and Deveril, on turning around to flee from the place, beheld the outer door closed, they again threw rapid and unutterable looks upon each other, as much as to imply that there was some hideous treachery impending. Our young hero, seizing upon a huge wooden stool, was about to batter down that door, taking it for granted, in the hurry and excitement of his thoughts, that it was fast secured outside, but it suddenly opened, and a female made her appearance. ‘““ Ah!” he ejaculated, as he recognized the woman whom he had saved from drowning in the Trent, but she placed her finger to her lips, and he uttered not another word. “Silence! ’’ said Madge Somers, for she it was; ‘‘ you have nothing to fear,’ and as she spoke, she entered the room, closing the door behind her. The Marquis of Eagledean, from the description which had been given him of this woman, at once knew who she was, and both he and Deveril perceived by her manner, even before she spoke those reassuring words, that she was friendly disposed toward them. | ‘Do not excite yourselves. There must be no disturb- ance,’ she hastened to observe. “ That pitfall was intended for you, — yes, both of you, — but I have saved you.” With an impulsive feeling of fervid gratitude, which was indeed natural enough under such extraordinary circum- stances, Deveril caught the woman by one hand, the marquis’ by the other, and those hands were fervidly pressed. ‘My good woman,” said Lord Hagledean, ‘‘ we owe you our lives. We understand it ali, —that miscreant lured us hither to accomplish our destruction, you have saved us, your reward shall be immense — ”’ “Do not speak so loud,’ interrupted Madge Somers, and her words were ntterdd in that peremptory tone of command which she was so accustomed to adopt. ‘‘ The people below must know nothing of what has happened.” ‘“ But it is impossible to pass over the transaction thus,” cried the marquis. ‘“‘ Such a horribly treacherous con- GOmilGaooks (C(O)