Angelina: Or, The Mystery of St. Mark's Abbey — page 164: what you’re looking at

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

THE MYSTERY OF ST. MARK’S ABBEY. 151 tresses, she felt that if she could only alléviate the serrows of the wretched prisoner, it would be some relief to her bosom. Again, Angelina heard the voice of the female giving utterance te some exe pressions of agony, but it was in so low a tone that they were rendered quite inaudible. She, however, determined to speak to her, and, therefore, after waiting for a few moments, in order that she might recover herself from the confusion and agitation inte which such an unexpected adventure had thrown her, she, in as firm a voice as possible, exclaimed,—- “Unhappy being, tell, I beseech you, a fellow-unfortunate who you are,: and if there is anything that she, by words, can offer you to ameliorate our distress, most willingly will she do it.” A loud rattling of chains, and a lumbering noise, as if somethiag had fallen heavily upon the earth, followed this speech, and Angelina imagined that the wretched prisoner, to whom her sympathies were directed, had fainted, pro- bably from exhaustion. ‘‘ Poor creature !” she eried, ‘‘she either hears me not, or else she has be- come insensible. My Ged! what a monster must this Baron de Morton be, thus to delight in inflicting unmerited torture upon his fellow-creatures. And must I remain in this horrible place,’’ she continued, ‘‘ the very aspect of which is sufficient to fill the stoutest heart with fear; and from whose damp and noisome walls, a chill, like that of death, freezes the blood within my veins, and palsies my limbs? Alas! what motives can induce the baron to this unprecedented cruelty ?” Once more she raised her voice, and ad@ressed the prisoner; there was ho auswer returned, and the awfel silence which prevailed seemed more hnprés- sive than as if it had not been interrupted, ‘¢ Great God!” ejaculated the trembling damsel, asa suddéa thought flashed across ber brain, ‘‘ perhaps she is dead |—perhaps the Almighty has listened to her prayers, and terminated her sufferings, and here am I confined ia the im- mediate proximity of a corpse !” A cold sweat bedewed her temples, as this thodght occarred to her, and it was with the utmost difficulty she conld sustain herself; then the idéa offwhat might be her own fate, tormented and distracted her imagination 3 probably, left to atarve, as the unfortusate being incarcerated im the next dungeon to her; had very likely been? This iden was more than shé covid endure, and she groaned aloud. More than ap hour elapsed in this manner, and ail remained still; Angelina had thrown herself on her wretched pallet, and covering her face with her hands, to shat out the horrors which her gloomy dungeow presented, gave herself up to feeliags of the most intense anguish and despair. From the silence which seontinued, it now seemed not at ail improbable but that her conjecture as to the death of the prisoner was correct, and many were thé tears she. gave to her untimely fate, which she could so sincerely commisserate, although she was rot aware that she was at all acquainted with the unfor- tunate woman, notwithstanding the familiarity of her voice, which had sé fercibly struck her, still haunted her recoliectfon. The light in her lamp was now beginning to burn. very dim, and semed asif it would shortly expire, and this added to our Héroine’s terrors tenfold, for to be left in this horrible place in total darkness, was too dreadfal even to COL @ OO SS (CO)