The Child of Waterloo, or, The Horrors of the Battle-Field — page 242: what you’re looking at

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

THE CHILD OF WATERLOO. 289 to, inasmuch as it left him with Mabel, and gave him an oppor- tunity of saying things to her which he only intended for her- self. | To be sure he made a slight error cf judgment in this in- stance, and did not calculate his chances, for after making a speech of the most affectionate character to Mabel, and in which there was some highly poetical language, Rafferty, who was upon the coach, rapped his knuckles against the front glass of the carriage, and said: “Mighty fine! Master Henry, mighty fine! only some of it wants putting inte English, for, by the holy, I can’t make out above half of it. Is that what you call making love? For shame! Master Henry, why don’t you spake your mother tongue, and not put any of your French and Latin nonsense along with it. wouldn’t have thought so of the likes of ou “You villain!” cried Henry. Mabel blushed and laughed as she gaid, ‘‘ You see. Henry, I warned you to pause, and now you have madé¢ a confidant, un- wittingly, of Rafferty.” While this little incident was proceeding below, the captain had drawn a chair close to the other side of the table at which Monsieur Rouselli sat, and affectionately inquired after his health since last they had met. ‘*Oh,” said the old man, ‘‘I have tried, but all in vain, to withdraw my mind from viewing my domestic affairs in the most gloomy light, and I feel that I shall know no joy, and not even an hour’s serenity, until teat dear child of my son’s is restored to my heart.” | ‘* Which we all expect will be goon.” “ It will need to be soon if am now to see her with mortal eyes. ‘‘ Now, monsieur, cannot you guess that, since I have been in town, I have striven in every possible way to discover her? Cannot you suppose that 7? bave set every means at work in such a cause ?” “Yes, and all in vain.” ‘* Not so.” ‘*Not in vain—not—not—you have heard something ?” ‘* T have; and expect that the clew which I have obtained will be one followed very shortly by the pleasure of again having her in our possession.” ‘* Oh, tell me so again. The very thought of such joyful in- telligence takes a load of years off me. Iam better now.” ** You may, from what I know, Monsieur Rouselli, hope for the best. and that more speedily, too, than you at all imagine.” Tbe old man rose and advanced toward the captain. He laid both his hands upon his breast, and looked him earnestly and scrutinizingly in the face. Then, with a cry of joy, he tottered back to his seat again, as he exclaimed: ‘I see it all—I see it all. You have found her—you have found the dear child! it was kind of you to spare the old man comicbooks. com