The Child of Waterloo, or, The Horrors of the Battle-Field — page 39: what you’re looking at

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

36 THE CHILD OF WATERLOO. Henry Morton. ‘I would not lose her for the wealth of worlds.” At this moment there was a gentle tap at the door of the room, and both Mr. and Mrs. Morton started at the sound. ‘Tis she—’tis Mabel,” said Henry Morton. ‘‘'Yes—yes. Be cautious. Calm her fears, but tell her noth- ing, Henry. Be very cautious!” T will—I will.” He rose, and unlocking the door, found a servant instead of Mabel, who said,-~-‘‘If you please, sir, there is a beggar at the front gate.” ‘‘ A~a beggar ?” ‘¢ Yes, sir,” the man continued; ‘‘ but he insists upon seeing you. He says he has not seen you since you were at the battle of Waterloo, fifteen years ago.” Morton staggered to a seat, as he said, in a faint voice: ‘*Show him into the library, and let no one see him—let no one see him.” CHAPTER IX. WHEN the highly disagreeable man, who hid filled poor Mabel with so much consternation in the wilderness, was com- pelled to fly before the attack of Leo, he took his way toward the neighboring village, full of the most malignant feelings. By the direct and undeviating route he took, it would seem as if he were well acquainted with the way, after he had once got clear of the wilderness belonging to the estate. He mut- tered to himself as he went, and now and then he would clinch his fist, and shake it in the air, as if he wished to give potency to some threat which arose from bis hard heart. ‘‘So—so,” he said, ‘‘she defies me; she is not quite the yielding creature I somehow expected to find her, and yet I don’t know why or wherefore I ought to have had any such expectations. I came upon the very estate unawares, and upon her more unawares still. She is beautiful—she is very beautiful.” He decreased his walk, as if some sudden thought had struck him; and, after a time, burst into an exultant laugh, as he cried— **Yes—yes. By heaven! a glorious plan—a most glorious plan! who can gainsay 1t? no one. The grave—the grave is over them all. Ha! who have we here ?” A lad was slowly approaching the stranger. He was a country-looking fellow, too. He dragged one foot after the other, as if to walk was quite a trouble; but still he seemed in- tent upon saying something to the uninviting personage who had been so much engrossed until that moment with his own evil thoughts and impulses. ‘‘T gay, old fellow,” said the boy, ‘“‘oh, what a trouble!” ‘‘ What's a trouble?” “‘T—I had something—to—ask you.” ‘Well, what is it ?” comicbooks. com