The Child of Waterloo, or, The Horrors of the Battle-Field — page 302: what you’re looking at

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

THE CHILD OF WATERLOO. 299 but be it how it may, there are few of the fields that I do not walk over, and destroy many French lives. ‘But here I must end for the present,” said Captain Morton, ‘‘they seem all alike of the same sanguinary nature; but we have discovered the end of the unfortunate Marie Rouselli. She died in a mad-house, eh ?” ae CHAPTER LIIL THE month of probation which Mabel had appointed for Henry Morton was soon expired, though it might seem long to the era oe of the lover, who. counted the minutes which divide the present from the moment in which his future hap- piness was to be completed; when, in fact, there should be no onger time to intervene between the object of his love, where no doubt of the future could cross his mind. This time was come; the morning of the marriage was come, and the old Hall looked gay; and there were not happier faces to be seen round the whole country than were to tp seen at Morton Hail. . Rafferty Brolickbones was at the head of all the fun and blun- ders of the day—that is, up to the hour of the marriage cere- mony. There was a peculiar life and oddity about Rafferty on this morning, that no one could understand. He appeared to be bursting with all sorts of fun, and every now and then he broke into loud expressions of mirth. What was the cause of all this nobody could tell; but when- ever Rafferty passed any one, he would look at them very hard, and burst into a fit of laughter; and when about to speak, would appear as if he were bolting his own words, and choking in the process. ‘Well, Rafferty,” one would say, ‘‘ what ails you this morn- ing? Are you unwell? You seem as if you had an earthquake in your stomach, and can’t digest it.” ‘*No,” said Rafferty, ‘‘ it isn’t that, but it has been so long in coming; that’s what I’m thinking about.” se hat has been coming ?” ‘“« Ah! that’s my affair; do you mind your own, as the bull said to the dog when he ate up the calf.” ‘* Never heard of such a case in all my life—never knew that the creature would do so; but never mind; you haven't got over that ducking you have had in the lane.” **Do you mind your business.” ‘Oh! we haven’t any business at all now, Rafferty, it’s all pleasure—it is high treason in you, Rafferty, to talk about busi- ness on such a day as this.” ‘Well, well, who’s got nothing to do? J’ll soon give him something to do, if it’s only to hold his tongue.” ‘‘ That seems to me to be much like doing nothing.” ‘‘Oh! you don’t know kow hard it is to do so, sometimes, honey, or you would not say 59,” said Rafferty, with a knowing 00 comicbooks. com