Penny Blood Serial Fiction — page 97: what you’re looking at

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

80 REYNOLDS’ WORKS reason of his own, to show that he had thus recognized him, Mr. Gunthorpe turned around to Lord Petersfield, demand- ing sternly, ‘‘ Who is your lordship’s eavesdropper? ”’ “T am Sir John Marston,” the baronet at once said, for Lord Petersfield, again sinking back aghast in his seat, could not utter a word. “ You are Mr. Gunthorpe, as I understand, and I have heard you touch upon a certain delicate matter. Perhaps, therefore, I may be admitted to the conference? ”’ ‘Most assuredly,’ rejoined the old gentleman, with accents of significant bitterness, ‘for if you are Sir John Marston, you are as much interested in it as Lord Peters- field himself.”’ “Granted! ’’ exclaimed the baronet, and he spoke with a degree of insolent hardihood which made Lord Petersfield think that he had devised some means of averting the threatened exposure. “Well, then, Sir John Marston,” resumed Mr. Gunthorpe, ‘inasmuch as you have been listening at that door, I need not repeat the words I have already spoken to Lord Peters- field. But as the friend and confidant of a certain noble- man,’ he continued, accentuating his words, “‘ I demand an account of the stewardship of you, Lord Petersfield, — of you also, Sir John Marston, — in respect to the sum of one hundred thousand pounds deposited in your joint hands sixteen years ago, for the benefit of Elizabeth and Francis Paton.” ‘“ And are we to understand,” said Marston, “‘ that there is a very delicate anxiety and tender interest entertained in a certain quarter with regard to these said persons Eliza- beth and Francis? ”’ “Most assuredly!’ responded Mr. Gunthorpe, with a stern look. ‘‘ How dare you assume, by your very tone and manner, that it can be otherwise? ”’ ‘““ T assume nothing of the sort,’ replied the baronet. “ I will ask one question. Have you, Mr. Gunthorpe, as the friend and confidant of a certain nobleman, seen these persons Ehzabeth and Francis? ”’ ‘““T have —I have seen them both; it is barely an hour since I left them. That they have been wronged — cruelly, scandalously wronged — is but too evident, but they them- selves are unconscious of the extent — ”’ Eomiechbooks (eve)