The Child of Waterloo, or, The Horrors of the Battle-Field — page 252: what you’re looking at

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

THE CHILD OF WATERLOO. 249 acter as he was represented to be by all who had heard of his ruin- ous and. desperate career. ‘* Yes,” he said, and his voice sounded hoarsely and discord- antly, far above its ordinary tones. ‘‘ Yes, I am Sternbolde, and I care not who knows it. I am Sternholde, and 1 have one other name, which is, the Battle Fiend! I glory in both appella. tions, but most do I glory in the latter, because it is that name which has grown out of my revenge.” ‘* What is the meaning of all this?” said the magistrate. ‘I must confess that 1 really cannot comprehend it.” Then, before any one could reply to this observation, there stepped up to the prisoner old Monsieur Rouselli, and while his: head shook with emotion, and his white locks were scattered! in the air, that waved them as though they had been shreds of flossy silk, he looked him steadily in the face. The old man did not speak, but he did not withdraw his eyes for a moment from the countenance of the man who had worked him so much woe. And Sternholde made a faint effort to look steadily in the countenance of Monsieur Rouselli. For a time— but a short time only—he did succeed, and then he began to falter; gradually he drooped and trembled—cowering beneath the gaze of the old man, as if it had brought with it some wither- ing blight which it was not in human nature to withstand. It was quite clear that no word need be spoken. The villain was subdued by that steady. uncompromising gaze alone. And then, indeed, did he exhibit all the power over the physical frame of an evil conscience, for while he shook like one in an ague, he turned his head aside, saying: ‘‘Enough! enough! I have nothing to say to you.” ‘‘ Murderer!” said the old man. ‘‘Can you breathe in my presence, and yet know the amount of misery you bave brought upon me?” ‘‘Away! away!” said Sternholde, for so we may now as well callhim. ‘Away! away, old man, I have no words for you.” ‘‘ Will some one,” said the magistrate, ‘explain to me the cause of this most remarkable change in the manner of the pris- oner ?” ‘*T can do 80, sir,” said Captain Morton; ‘‘but as the details will occupy some time, and as they cannot be said to apply to affairs recognizable in the jurisdiction of the English laws, I will, in private, communicate to you who and what this desper- ate man really is; I have only now to pray that you will remand him, for I expect I can produce evidence, so as to prove him guilty of a crime which the English law can take fuil cognizance of; I shall be able to prove him a murderer.” ‘“°Tig falsel” cried Sternholde. ‘‘I have done nothing here, and being not an English subject, all acts that may be laid to my charge in other countries have nothing to do with the mag- istracy of this.” ‘*T shall grant the remand,” said the magistrate, ‘‘upon your oath, Captain Morton, that you believe you will be able to pro- duce evidence of this man’s guilt of a higher crime than the ab- duction of this young lady.” comicbooks. com