The Child of Waterloo, or, The Horrors of the Battle-Field — page 222: what you’re looking at

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

THE CHILD OF WATERLOO. 219 “Thank you, sir—thank you. What a joyful surprise the let- ter must have been to you.’ ‘* Letter!” | ‘Yes, the magistrate’s letter. Good God! do you suppose, Captain Morton, that I don't know anything ?” ‘Humor him,” whispered Henry. ‘*No, I shall not,” said Captains Morton. ‘Humor who?” said the late hostler to Henry. ‘‘Is your brother mad ?” ‘*No; but you are,” said the captain. ‘‘In God’s name, what do you nean by the letter? ‘You are pre of things that have no existence but in your own brain, and as for asking Mabel any questions, I only wish you had the opportunity.” ‘‘ Well, then, give me the opportunity, or refuse it at once, candidly, and let me know why you so refuse it; or if your brother here will tell me that your mind has become deranged, T will go away at once, and no longer irritate you.” ‘¢ D——n your infernal impudence!” said the captain. Well, and d——n yours.” Henry rose and stepped between them. * Hush—hush!” he said, ‘‘I cannot help thinking that there is some playing at some cross purposes here, which is likely to proceed, unless you explain what you really mean.” ‘-T have explained,” said the other. ‘‘I came here after find- ing out, as I tell you, by mere accident, where you were stay- ing, partly to congratulate you upon the recovery of Miss Mabel, and likewise to ask you to allow me to get what particulars she can give me of that scoundrel who carried her off, and who, I have no doubt, is the same who did the dreadful murder at the inn of which 1 was so wrongfully accused.” “« And that’s what you have come for?” said the captain. “« Precisely.” “ If this is a joke, it’s a sorry one, but if it be really a mistake arising from misinformation of some sort, I only regret to say, that we have not yet recovered Mabel, nor have we the least idea of what has become of her. since she left Morton Hall.” ‘‘Then what is the meaning of all this?” He handed to Captain Morton a newspaper as he spoke, which was folded so that the following article met his eve:— ‘*Bow STREET.—Yesterday, as the sitting magistrate was about quitting his seat. a lady-hke young person of great per- sonal attractions, stepped into the witness-box and made the following extraordinary application with regard to the late murder near White-chapel,-for which, it will be in the recol- lection of our readers, that a man unknown is in custody, who has vehemently declared his innocence. The applicant stated that she was an enforced resident with the man at the time of the alleged murder, and that he was innocent of it. She stated that her name was Mabel Morton, and that she had been ab- ducted from her home by the man who stood accused of the murder, and whom a sense of justice induced her, notwith- standing he had been to her the greatest of enemies, to exoner- comicbooks. com