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The Adventures of Sir Launcelot Greaves by Tobias George Smollett
page 262 of 285 (91%)
out upon that marble--away"----

The honest doctor was not so firmly persuaded of his patient's lunacy as
to reject his advice, which he made what haste he could to follow, when
an unexpected accident intervened.

That this may be properly introduced, we must return to the knight's
brace of trusty friends, Captain Crowe and lawyer Clarke, whom we left in
sorrowful deliberation upon the fate of their patron. Clarke's genius
being rather more fruitful in resources than that of the seaman, he
suggested an advertisement, which was accordingly inserted in the daily
papers; importing that, "Whereas a gentleman of considerable rank and
fortune had suddenly disappeared, on such a night, from his house near
Golden Square, in consequence of a letter delivered to him by a porter;
and there is great reason to believe some violence hath been offered to
his life; any person capable of giving such information as may tend to
clear up this dark transaction, shall, by applying to Mr. Thomas Clarke,
attorney, at his lodgings in Upper Brook Street, receive proper security
for the reward of one hundred guineas, to be paid to him upon his making
the discovery required."

The porter who delivered the letter appeared accordingly, but could give
no other information, except that it was put into his hand with a
shilling, by a man muffled up in a greatcoat, who stopped him for the
purpose, in his passing through Queen Street. It was necessary that the
advertisement should produce an effect upon another person, who was no
other than the hackney-coachman who drove our hero to the place of his
imprisonment. This fellow had been enjoined secrecy; and, indeed, bribed
to hold his tongue, by a considerable gratification, which, it was
supposed, would have been effectual, as the man was a master coachman in
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