The Child of Waterloo, or, The Horrors of the Battle-Field — page 248: what you’re looking at

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

THE CHILD OF WATERLOO. 245 ‘“‘T have advised him to state the truth, and I will now relate to your worship the grounds upon which he substantiates his claim to this young person. Your worship must know then that my client’s name is Leroux, and that he was in the French army at the period of the battle of Waterloo. He is a German, but was naturalized in France, and obtained a colonelcy in a regi- ment which fought in that great engagement. My client was severely wounded, and lay upon the field of slaughter, when his deeply attached wife sought him, carrying in her arms their only infant. So deeply affected was she at observing the hus- band of her affections apparently in the agony of death, that she fainted at his side, and he, believing that she was no more, crawled to a British officer with the child in his arms, and im- plored him to protect it. That officer has been ascertained to be Captain Morton. The child is now the young lady who, with all the natural feeling of a father, my client strove to obtain the society of.” ‘‘Pray be silent,” said the magistrate, as he saw that Captain Morton was about to speak; ‘‘ pray be silent, and allow things to proceed regularly, if you please.” ‘‘ Prisoner, I have heard this statement which has been volun- teered by you on this occasion, and now I shall proceed with the case. ill you come forward, madam, and give your evi- dence ?” Mabel stepped to the magistrate’s table, and was sworn. ‘‘ What is your name?” he said. ‘‘ Mabel Rouselli,” she replied, in a calm voice. The effect upon the prisoner was instantaneous and terrific. He stretched out his arms, and his whole countenance became convulsed with passion, as he cried,— | ‘“‘No, no, not Rouselli. Who gave you that name? what fiend whispered to you such a name as that? No, no, it is a wild and desperate guess to drive me mad. I have not heard that name for many a day, Rouselli—Rouselli; who said Rouselli?” ‘“*T€ you are not silent, prisoner,” said the magistrate, ‘I shaJl be compelled to have you removed, and to carry on this investigation without you. Miss Rouselli, can you state to me who your father was, and with whom you are now residing ?” ** My father was a colonel in the French army of the empire, and J am now under the protection of my grandfather, Monsieur Rouselli.” ‘6°Tis false, false,” cried the mendicant—“ all false; a plot to deprive me of my only defense. She is mine—mine, I tell you. There is no Colonel Rouselli. There never was such anone. She belongs to me.” ‘*I can swear,” said Captain Morton, ‘the prisoner’s not the ie: who gave into my charge the child on the field of Water- 00. ‘* And so can J, your honor,” shouted Rafferty. ‘‘Really,” said the magistrate, ‘‘ this is most irregular. You will please to go on with your evidence, Miss Rouselli; no one, of course, for a moment can be deceived by the impudent fabri- cations of the prisoner.” comicbooks. com