Penny Blood Serial Fiction — page 34: what you’re looking at

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

A TRAGEDY 17 enter upon deliberate discourse. As for any conjecture relative to the author or authors of the crime, they could offer none. It was indeed shrouded in the darkest, deepest mystery, for according to the appearance presented by the bodies of the murdered women, it was evident their persons had not been rifled. — To add to the utter discomfort of the position of the gentle- men, the sky grew overcast and the rain began to fall, at first only drizzling, but in a little while descending more sharply, until at length it poured down in torrents. They had no umbrellas, but they stood up under the thick canopy of a neighbouring tree, and thus avoided being completely drenched by the rain. At the expiration of the two hours they heard persons advancing along the bank of the river from the direction of Gainsborough, and half a dozen individuals soon made their appearance. ‘These consisted of a magistrate, a surgeon, and some constables, accompanied also by the peasant. In a few words Mr. Gunthorpe explained to the magistrate the circumstances under which himself and Deveril had dis- covered the murder. The lanterns which the constables had with them were lighted, the position in which the bodies lay was carefully noted by the authorities, and the magis- trate then decided upon having the corpses conveyed to Gainsborough. Some hurdles were procured, and upon these the bodies were placed. The procession then set out along the bank of the river, through the deluging rain, toward the town. Gomicdoo 6S (E(©)