from "For A Million Of Money" by Arthur W. Marchmont (1907)

[esercito sconfitto]

yes, it's 1907!

take a look at the link

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Raising the Iron bar, she stood over the
cowering wretch, and threatened to beat out
her brains If she dared to utter a sound; and
then taking the little jug of milk, she forced'
her to swallow it. In dire fright, the woman
tried to resist; but Olive held to the task un-'
til, little by little, much as she would have
forced them on an animal, the whole contents
of tho jug had been drunk.

Watching her intently, she saw the drug
take effect; and as soon as this was apparent,
she stripped the woman's outer clothes off.
and tearing off her own, changed dresses with
her.

She made the change as rapidly as possible;
but It took so long that she paused a dozen
times In fear that she had heard Merridow
coming up to the room.

Desplte the woman's unconsciousness, It
was no easy task to put the clothes upon her;
and when Olive had finished, there were a
hundred signs which to a woman's eye would
have indicated the deception.

But Olive calculated that Merridew would
be to the full as excited as she was herself;
and in the darkness the trick might pass suc-
cessfully.

Fortunately, Mrs. Tlsley had been wearing
a shawl over her head; and Olive put this on
cunningly, so as to conceal the greater part
of her face.

At this point, her plans were changed. The
Idea of her violent resistance by striking Mer-
ridew down had been repugnant from tho first:
and now she saw another way. She would
keep her weapon by her In case of her ruse
being detected, but would only use It in the
last extremity.

https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/14838549