Penny Blood Serial Fiction — page 44: what you’re looking at

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

CHAPTER IV THE INQUEST AT a public-house on the outskirts of Gainsborough nearest to the point whence the mournful procession had started with the two dead bodies on the preceding night, the coroner’s inquest was held at midday. As might be expected, the tragedy had produced the utmost consternation throughout the town and neighbourhood, and the public-house where the corpses had been deposited was surrounded from an early hour in the morning by a crowd of persons, all anxious to obtain any additional particulars that might transpire. At twelve o’clock, as above stated, the coroner arrived, and the proceedings were opened in the largest room which the public-house contained. A jury was speedily sworn in, and the various witnesses were kept together in an adjoining apartment, — Mr. Gunthorpe, Deveril, and the peasant being amongst them. The coroner and jury, having viewed the two bodies, — which were in a third room, and had in the meantime undergone a surgical examination, — commenced the pro- ceedings. The first witness called was the landlord of a hotel in the town. He deposed that the deceased lady, accompanied by her maid, had arrived at his establishment at about three o'clock on the preceding day. They had travelled post from Lincoln, and on the lady’s box was the name of Made- moiselle d’Alembert, but she appeared to be an English woman by her speech and accent. She had dined by herself in @ private room at about five o’clock, her maid having previously partaken of refreshments in the servants’ room of the hotel. At seven o’clock Mademoiselle d’Alembert had tea; shortly after which she and her servant went out to- 27 EORVICLOOO® SS} (FO)