The Child of Waterloo, or, The Horrors of the Battle-Field — page 26: what you’re looking at

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

THE CHILD OF WATERLOO. 28 are a beautiful girl, and like one whom I knew long ago. I thought so, when first you turned your head, and |] saw your face; but, somehow, then the likeness vanished, but now it has come back again, and I know that Iam not mistaken. Answer me what I would ask of you, and then you may go where you please, and as soon as you please. What is your name?” ‘¢My name is well known; it is no secret. My name is Mabel.” ‘¢T guessed as much,” cried the fellow, in a tone of exulta- tion. ‘You have no friends; you are kept by Captain Morton— for he is a captain in rank—in charity. You know nothing of your own history.” ‘‘Gracious Heaven. who can you be who have acquired so much knowledge of what I am ?” ** Ah, who can I be?” ‘Tell me, I implore.” ‘‘Oh, you are beginning to implore, are you? Ha! ha! what an odd thing, to hear a fine voung lady, such as vou are, 80 proud and haughty, imploring of a poor beggar, without a shoe to his foot.” ‘* You shall be rewarded; you shall not long remain in such a situation, if you can tell me whol. am. If you know the secret of my birth——” ‘‘T do know it.” “‘Oh, tell me—tell me, I beseech you; keep me not in igno- rance; tell me, I implore you, tell me.” ‘“‘There are two words go to that bargain; you must answer me some questions first; and remember, if you cavil over your answers, or refuse the information I seek, I leave you, and you will never know who you are, for the secret is buried here and nowhere else.” He struck his breast as he spoke, and eyed her fixedly. She trembled, and held on by the gate for support, as she replied,— ‘*What questions I can and ought to answer, I will answer, with the hope that you will be explicit upon that subject which is dear to my heart, and which has given rise in my mind to so much endless, painful, and all-engrossing conjecture.” **T will satisfy you.” ‘On your oath, swear to me that you will.” ‘‘T swear that I will. Answer the questions which I shall ask of you, freely, and I will then answer you as freely all that you can ask of me.” “‘T will, T will. ‘Yes, yes.” ‘* By the bye, first and foremost, have you any money ?” ‘<A small sum; you are welcome to it.” She produced her purse, and he at once snatched it from her trembling hands, and placed it out of sight in his bosom, as he cried, with a brutal laugh that made the very heart of poor Mabel turn cold— ‘*This will do for the present. Ha, ha, ha! This will keep the enemy at bay for the present. By G——41 it strikes me very for- cibly that, in a short time now, I shall cut a very different ap- pearance to my present one. D——n these rags, they become me about as well as a scarecrow,” comicbooks. com