Angelina: Or, The Mystery of St. Mark's Abbey — page 176: what you’re looking at

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

- —_ OL OE OE Eel Genes AE eee ee Fg le we * ai ae Cn nearer cAI grates dea THE MYSTERY OF ST. MARK'S ABBEY, 1468 ‘* Thank Heaven |” ajusulated aur heroine, fervently. “*'To be sure, she has been very severely peatshed,”* said the woman; “ but, upon the whale, aad taking every thing into consideration, it is no more than she richly deserved; for what business had she to assist you to escape from the custody of her master ?” “* And what authority had her master, either then or now, to held me in cus- tody f” demanded the indignant Angelina. ‘ Why should he persist in exer- Cising such unparalicled cruelty towards one whe ts almost an enfive stranger to him 3’ . “ As for the matter of that, I know nothing about,” returned the woman ; “and it is not my place to question the conduct of my master. I dare say he bas some autherity for doing what he has Gone, dat if he bas not, it is no busi- ness of mine Angelina could not help turning away from the unfecling old woman, with disgust ; but, at length, deeming it more pradent to disguise her real thouglits, she inquired in what manner it was discovered that she had assisted her to escape from the Tower. << Why there sould not be any mistake in that,” said the woman; ‘‘ for had she not exchanged dresses ‘with you, and remained behind in the apartments wherein you -had been confined? Besides, the foolish woman, as though she was anxious to be discovered, had partaken of something ont of a bottle, in which there was an opiate which she was aware of, and that steeped her sentes, so that she fell into a deep sleep, and in that state she was found by Ruthven who entered the chamber at midnight.”’ “‘ Ab! for what purpose ?” gasped forth Angelina, as a terrible ides of the truth darted across ber imagination. “No matter,’ answered the old woman, with some confasion; “she had to pay dear for her treachery—her husband stabbed her in a mistake-——” . “Ina mistake for me,’ added our hcroine, hastily. “ Wretches, murderers, well do I now perceive what were their blood-thirsty designs, but which were so singalarly frustrated. Alas! poor Bridget, what have you suffered te serve me!’’ ‘Ruthven was at first terribly ‘alarmed when he discovered what he had done,” said the old woman, after a pause ; ** but the wound was not a dangerous ene, and she soon recovered. When she had got well, she was most severely reproached by my lord, and her husband, for the treacherous part she bad acted, and, as a further punishment for the effence of which she had been guilty, she was confined in the dungeon, as you observed her, and, in my opinion, very justly teo.” “The villaias!’? exclaimed the horror-struck Angelina, when the womar concladed; and she could not help feeliag the utmost abhorrence of one who could make use of such bratal observations as she had done, and was ashamed to. think that they sheuld emanate from one of her own sex. ‘* 11’s fortunate for you, young weman,” said the woman, “that neither the baron, my master, or Ruthven, are present to hear the titles you bestow upom them. But, for my part,. I consider that if I bad been guilty of what she was, I should have merited the most severe punishment that could have been in- fiicted upon me. However, I must not semain here any longer-~} have other basiness to attend to.” With these words, the old woman quitted the room, and our heroine was ECOMicoOOKS.Com